In Which the Fox Flees
by tav1sh
Summary: Lila knows for sure that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is definitely Ladybug at first sight (why no one else can see it, she does not understand). And she is determined to stay far away from her, even if Marinette is the nicest person she's ever met. Meanwhile, Marinette feels guilty about how she treated Lila as Ladybug, and she wants to make up for it. And she is determined to befriend
1. Resolution

Marinette couldn't escape the guilt that lingered as she watched Lila walk away, hands clasped around her not-miraculous fox-tail necklace. Because even though Lila had tried to get close to Adrien, even though she had lied about herself and about Ladybug, it had been Ladybug who caused Lila's akumatization. It had been Marinette's fault that Hawkmoth had been able to send out yet another black butterfly and infect an innocent civilian. And while this wasn't the first time Marinette had been the cause of an akuma (Antibug and the Gamer she remembered well), it still hurt to know she had done that to someone. In a way, she felt as if she had helped Hawkmoth.

That was never a good feeling.

And so it was with determination to be amiable to Lila that Marinette went to school. She had never spoken to Lila as her civilian self. The only people who definitely knew that Lila had lied were Adrien and Marinette as Ladybug. While the other students theoretically had no idea, Lila was sure to avoid Adrien like the black plague after what had occurred. Marinette hurried her pace when she saw Alya's back and settled in step next to her.

"Have you heard?" Alya asked excitedly, looking down to grin at Marinette. "Even our super-cool and popular Italian transfer student has bad days." She pulled out her phone and opened up the Ladyblog. Marinette peered down at the screen to read the post title: "Fox Superheroine was Faux!" The post was accompanied with a blurred photo of the latest akuma, Volpina, standing high on the roof as she called out to the people below.

"Wow!" Marinette feigned surprise as she skimmed the post.

"I wonder what happened to her." Alya commented as she put her phone away. "I was really excited for another hero to put on the blog, too."

"Oh well." Marinette smiled sympathetically and patted her friend's shoulder. Suddenly Alya gasped.

"Speak of the devil! Volpina is right here." Alya exclaimed quietly and turned her head. Marinette followed her line of sight and saw Lila at the top of the stairs of the school entrance, standing next to Rose and some other girls from different classes. She didn't seem that upset considering yesterday's events, but Marinette wanted to follow through with her resolution.

"Hi!" She called out. "Lila, right?" Marinette smiled as Lila turned to look at her. Now that she was actually looking directly at Lila and seeking out an acquaintanceship, she realized that Lila was actually very pretty, and she looked really smart and well-rounded and fashionable. Kind of like a certain blond model she knew. Marinette shook off the thought and approached them. Rose waved in response and Lila nodded. "I'm Marinette; welcome to Paris!"

"Thank you, it's wonderful here." Lila responded politely, but she fixed Marinette with a curious stare. Suddenly the heroine felt a bit on edge, but she continued smiling nonetheless.

"I know we're in different classes, but if you have any questions, you can come to me. I hope we can be friends." She offered.

For some reason, a brief expression of confusion flickered on Lila's face, before smoothing into a pleasant smile. "You are too kind. Thank you so much."

"See you around!" Marinette said cheerfully, and Lila waved.

Marinette and Alya walked off into the school. Had Marinette glanced behind, she would have seen Lila's eyes following her.

"Hey, what was that about, Miss She-Can't-Have-My-Adrien?" Alya demanded once they were out of earshot, placing her hands on her hips. Marinette wasn't quite sure how to explain exactly why Lila wouldn't be pursuing Adrien anymore.

"Um." Marinette began. "I just think I need to stop judging people on whether they like Adrien." She laughed a little. "She's probably really nice, anyway." Hah.

Well, Marinette thought to herself, aside from being a liar. And a thief. And a pest.

Well.

Although, it seemed as if Lila had only done those things to make Adrien like her, which, while Marinette didn't support the method, she could understand the intention behind it. The allure of Adrien's love was too strong (just look at him, c'mon). Furthermore, she hadn't lied about anything else. All of her other claims about hanging out with famous people and such have turned out to be true, which is why her interview on the Ladyblog caused a ton of good traffic and positive comments. And everyone else at the school sans Chloe (and by default, Sabrina) seemed to like her.

But Lila had been looking at her strangely, earlier.

"Well, I'm going to need to talk to her some more so I can get more info on Ladybug." Alya grinned and glanced back towards Lila, who had mercifully stopped staring at Marinette. "They're friends, you know."

"You told me yesterday." Marinette reminded Alya, who chuckled. The two went to class, and Marinette pondered Lila's behavior. Sure, it would make sense she might act a little off-kilter, what with being akumatized yesterday, but it didn't really explain her behavior towards Marinette. In the end, she brushed it off and took out her notebook.

There were two opposing sides to Lila's thoughts right now. The first was that Marinette was one hundred percent absolutely Ladybug, her current greatest enemy, and that she should keep her distance for the rest of her life. It was glaringly obvious, the physical similarities between the two. The two shared the same hairstyle and color, the same exact body shape and height. Lila had seen beautiful bright blue eyes, the same exact eyes that had glared at her before and accused her of deception. And she had heard a sweet and kind voice, the sweetened version of the angry voice that had declared Lila a super-liar only yesterday. Marinette was totally Ladybug, and she wielded the knowledge that Lila had lied, that Lila was a disgrace. She could befriend Lila in a ruse to embarrass her. She could get close to Lila and find out her deepest and darkest secrets and spill them to the world. She was danger and she could ruin Lila's life.

The second side was that Marinette had been so friendly and sweet that there was no way she could be Ladybug. And that Marinette had been the only student to approach Lila and offer nothing but kindness. She didn't ask for any of Lila's connections, popularity, or anything else. While other students clamored for her stories of flying with Prince Ali in his private jet or talking to the famous director Steven Spielberg, or even having a song written about her by Jagged Stone, Marinette had come to her and offered friendship, seemingly with no strings attached. Lila's heart had actually skipped a beat. Maybe even two.

Sure, Ladybug had shown some signs of empathy when she apologized, but Lila's response (which she may or may not regret) probably erased what little compassion Ladybug had for her. Marinette may have all the looks to be Ladybug, but her personality was too different. It didn't match up. Maybe they were long lost twins. Or something.

Despite it all, Lila knew the most logical conclusion was that Marinette and Ladybug were one and the same. But she felt a small liking to Marinette that would not match up with her hatred of Ladybug. If they were the same person, why did she feel so differently about them? Also, how the heck did no one notice the similarities between them? Lila had combed through the entire Ladyblog prior to coming to France, and nearly every post asked about her identity. And she knew Alya was the creator of the blog, since she had given the false interview. To think she would not notice how her friend was the exact likeness of Ladybug…

Lila's thoughts were a mess. She didn't know what to think. Everything contradicted everything else. She knew Marinette was probably Ladybug, but there was also the chance that she wasn't. How likely was it that she would attend the same school as Paris's most adored hero? She was confused.

"When did I save you? Never!" Ladybug had jeered in front of Adrien.

"We'll never be friends!" Lila had said to Ladybug, before storming off.

"I hope we can be friends." Marinette had said to Lila, with a big smile.

The teacher saw Lila's head down on the desk, and wisely decided not to comment.

Marinette was on a mission. She was determined to make up for what she did, and she was determined to become friends with Lila. Thus it was during morning classes that she had a great idea.

"Alya." She whispered quietly to her friend. "Want to each lunch together at my house?" She asked.

"Definitely!" Alya gave her a thumbs up. Lunch at Marinette's was always great, since her house was literally a bakery and her parents were extremely good cooks. Not to say Alya's mom wasn't a good cook, but she didn't prepare as many desserts as the Dupain-Chengs. "I'll text my mom when class is over."

"And, you know," Marinette continued gleefully. "I could invite Lila over."

At that, Alya's eyes lit up. "And I can ask her some more about Ladybug! Super idea!" She grinned widely, before looking Marinette in the eye. "Why do you want to be friends with her so bad?"

Marinette coughed discreetly. She _could_ tell Alya that it's because she may or may not have been a jerk as Ladybug to Lila, but that wasn't really the best thing to say.

"She's new! I think we should be nice." Marinette said, wincing on the inside at her white lie.

"Well, if you say so. And I think she's pretty cool, too." Alya agreed. Mme. Bustier coughed loudly and gave them pointed looks, and the two girls smiled sheepishly and went back to work.

Thankfully, the bell rang and and it was lunchtime.

Lila fled immediately. She had too many thoughts and all of them were focused on Marinette and Ladybug. Thanks to the French school system, lunch was close to two hours long and many people went home to eat, so Lila had plenty of time to relax. However, as Lila's parents were diplomats, they were frequently busy. As such, Lila had to eat at the school. Which meant she might have to interact with Marinette if she was also eating at the school. Or, she realized, she might have to interact with Adrien. Both were equally bad. The girl who was probably Ladybug and the boy she lied to.

Lila decided she could hide out in the library for a bit. Well-liked as she was, she didn't feeling like talking with people. Despite having the entire morning of classes to think, she still needed to sort out her feelings. Most people probably were eating down in the school courtyard or at home, so theoretically she would be alone.

So it was with grace and stealth that she climbed the stairs to the library, finding it mercifully devoid of people. Lila dropped her bag on the table in the center of the room and sat down to think, hands pressed to her temples.

Now that Lila's chances with Adrien were as nonexistent as her friendship with Ladybug, she had no other target at the school. No other person to pursue for friendship or love. She still sought a romantic relationship, or a strong friendship, at least. With her frequent moves, she never had the time to develop deep friendships or bonds. Thanks to her association with famous figures and internet popularity, she could form acquaintanceships fast. She could be the center of attention easily. But she never had the one best friend who was always there for her. She never had anyone who would ask how she was doing or text her late into the night.

Well, of course that had never bothered her. She was an independent, strong girl. But it wouldn't hurt to have a friend, or a significant other. That's part of the reason she had wanted to be with Adrien so badly. Not only was he a charming model, he was genuinely nice and seemed compassionate. But that option was gone now.

And it seemed the best candidate to fill that position was the girl who may or may not be the person who ruined her chances with Adrien in the first place.

Sometimes, Lila made obviously bad life decisions, such as when she lied to Adrien in an attempt to develop a relationship with him. That blew up in her face immediately afterwards (to be fair, she would probably move away in a couple of months yet again, and never see him for the rest of her life).

Lila was determined to not make another bad life decision. Her resolution was to stay far, far away from Ladybug, and thus she would stay as far away from Marinette as she possibly could.

 _We'll never be friends_ , she repeated to herself.

But if Marinette wasn't Ladybug, she was losing a potential friend. Everything hinged on Marinette being Ladybug.

 _I hate you, Ladybug_ , Lila chanted.

It was then the library door clicked open.

"The library?" Someone said.

"I think I saw her go in here." A voice replied quietly. Lila knew the owner of that voice. It belonged to both a Parisian superheroine and a friendly student. Lila turned her head, dreading every second of the motion.

"Hey, Lila! Want to eat lunch with us?" Marinette called out to her, a big, radiant grin on her face. Lila's heart dropped from her chest cavity right down to the soles of her feet.


	2. Confrontation

Marinette could have sworn for a moment that she saw the briefest expression of utmost horror on Lila's face before she turned her head away at mach speed. The kind of terror you feel when you wake up on a nice Sunday morning until you realize it's Monday. But it had been so quick that she brushed it off as her imagination.

"You should definitely come!" Alya suddenly piped up. "Marinette's parents make the _best_ pain au chocolat. And I can film another interview for the Ladyblog, too, if you're okay with that." She suggested. Marinette bit her lip at that, knowing that Lila probably would not have many fun things to say about Ladybug. Alya failed to notice the slight quiver in Lila's shoulders.

A solid five seconds of silence passed by and Marinette's brows drew together.

"Lila?" She repeated and moved closer, suddenly worried. She was about to lay a hand down on the student's shoulder when Lila suddenly stood up, hands almost slamming directly on the table. Marinette flinched and stepped backwards in surprise, when Lila turned around again, looking vaguely embarrassed.

"Oh, sorry about that. I, um-" Then she stopped herself and took a breath, composing herself. "I don't think I can come. I have a lot of classwork to catch up on." Lila continued apologetically, gesturing to her bag. Marinette faltered, frowning a little. Lila sounded sincere despite her outburst, and Marinette nodded understandingly, deciding not to pry.

"Well, Alya and I can bring you a snack after we come back, then. Maybe if we're early enough we can come help you out!" Marinette offered, all smiles and sunshine.

"That would be super." Lila replied, her voice seemingly a bit strained.

"Could I film another interview later, too?" Alya asked, holding her phone up.

"Of course." Lila smiled in response.

"Alright, well, we'll see you later then!" Marinette took Alya's arm and flashed a grin at Lila before turning around and exiting the library.

Even though the plan to have lunch together fell through, Marinette could still hang around after. She was thoroughly pleased with that outcome, and she chatted happily with Alya all throughout the walk.

Lila was terrified. Even though on the surface Marinette had only been thoughtful, it felt like Marinette was trying to hunt her down, to corner her and then destroy her. Because Marinette was Ladybug, her enemy, right? And they were never going to be friends, right?

Why was Marinette trying to get close to her? Why did she keep offering friendship? Why, why why?

Lila waited several minutes before grabbing her bag and fleeing yet again. There was no way she would deal with yet another encounter with Marinette. She definitely did not have it within her, so she had to evacuate the area. Lila walked quickly and left the room, seeking solace in some other room. But she was stopped by two students, both of whom she did not know. The first was blond with a ponytail. She was dressed in a yellow outfit and she wore an expression of superiority. The second had red hair, glasses and an argyle sweater; she seemed meek but also had a similar haughty expression.

"New girl." The blonde said in disgust. "I just wanted to make it clear that you have no chance with my Adrien. He and I are meant to be." She gloated. Lila blinked her eyes for a moment, and then rolled them discreetly. But she wasn't here to make any more enemies, and she knew more than Chloé how nonexistent her chance with Adrien was.

"Wow!" She exclaimed. "I didn't realize Adrien was so lucky!" Lila put a hand to her face and looked at Chloé in fake admiration. "You're so pretty! And so fashionable! Adrien must be so happy." Lila gushed. Chloé looked confused at first, but she welcomed this praise.

"Well, as the daughter of the mayor of Paris, I _am_ perfect." She claimed, clearly pleased with Lila's words. "It's good to know that someone around here can see it. Sabrina?" She looked to the girl next to her and snapped her fingers.

"Yes, Chloé!" Sabrina straightened her back and held out a hand to Lila.

"You can have my phone number." Chloé said, as if she was bestowing an award to the first-place winner. Lila fished out her phone, opened a new contact page and then placed it in Sabrina's hands, who then typed out Chloé's information with a finger speed that should be reserved for competitions.

Sabrina opened up another contact and began to type out her own name.

"Sabrina, what are you doing?" Chloé sent her a pointed look. Sabrina nearly dropped the phone and she smiled sheepishly.

"I was giving her my number, too." She explained, clutching the phone tightly.

"And just why do you think she'd need that, too?" Chloé questioned accusingly. "Give the phone back." Lila looked back and forth between the girls, realizing just what kind of dynamic they had.

"Oh, it's fine. I need more contacts anyway." She said pleasantly. Sabrina gasped happily and went back to filling out her information, and Chloé nodded, resigned. "It was so great to meet you two." Lila took back her phone and pocketed it, smiling all the while.

"You're not half bad, new girl." Chloé decided.

"Lila." The so-called new girl corrected her.

"Lina, whatever. I think you should come with Sabrina and me to lunch. We'd be going to my house, the most luxurious hotel in France." The mayor's daughter said, seemingly more of a demand than an offer.

There was no way she would have to deal with Marinette if she went along with the two girls. Annoying as they were, they definitely liked Lila, and that was something she wouldn't turn away. As bonus, they weren't Ladybug, so it was all good.

"That sounds amazing! I'd love to come." Lila said, with all of the cheer she could muster. That was definitely the right answer, as Chloé's smile grew. She and Sabrina dragged Lila out to the front of the school, where a luxurious limo awaited them. _Well_ , Lila smiled to herself, _this should be fun_.

Before Marinette and Alya left the school, they stopped at their lockers to grab some stuff. So it was a several minutes delay that prevented them from leaving and never seeing Lila ever again.

Alas, when they walked out, they watched as three girls climbed into Chloé Bourgeois's fancy white limo.

"Hey, isn't that Lila?" Alya pointed, and Marinette looked over just in time to see long brown hair slip into the car. And it was undoubtedly Lila who had just seated herself next to Chloé Bourgeois. Marinette's jaw dropped a little in shock as she watched the car door close.

 _She's lied before… why did I think she wouldn't lie again?_

Marinette bit her lip, obviously hurt. She felt embarrassed and a little betrayed, but then she reminded herself that she wasn't even close to Lila, and that maybe something had just come up.

"She's going with Chloe? Bad news." Alya gritted her teeth. First being lied to, then being lied to in order to hang out with the world's most hated spoiled brat? And she had been impressed by her?

"Maybe something came up?" Marinette suggested, not believing herself.

"Maybe, but I doubt it." Alya grabbed Marinette's arm and dragged her along. "Her loss. We can have as many _pain au chocolat_ as we want." Marinette remained quiet for a bit.

"Do you think I did something to make her upset?" She asked, allowing herself to be pulled along. "Maybe she wants to avoid me."  
"You only spoke with her this morning! I don't think there's anything you even could have done to her." Alya sounded incredulous.

Marinette continued thinking, and then she began to feel a little sick. Because the only mean thing she had ever done to Lila was as Ladybug. That would mean Lila knew. And no one was supposed to know.

 _Oh no_ , she thought.

"Don't worry!" A tiny voice whispered in her ear. "There's no way she would know it's you." Tikki said. "No one saw you transform or anything, I made sure." The reassurance helped alleviate Marinette's worry. But it was vaguely worrying that even a centuries-old creature such as Tikki would fail to see that Ladybug's mask and suit did nothing to disguise her from Lila.

 _There is no doubt I did something to make her upset, though,_ Marinette decided.

"Well, I'll try and ask her about it later. No harm, right?" She told Alya, who smiled.

"Marinette, you're too nice." Alya shook her head. "But okay. No harm done."

The two girls shared a small smile and went on their way.

Lila breathed a sigh of relief; she had managed to conquer the rest of the day without any sign of Marinette. She knew that common sense dictated that one should not run from their problems, but Lila was an experienced practitioner of doing just that. She just didn't _need_ to deal with her problems, not when she would be probably be moving yet again and leaving said problems behind. She had ignored her problems before, and she could ignore them again. The whole Marinette being Ladybug thing was kind of freaking her out, and she decided that she would rather _not_ think about it. So it was with renewed determination to erase Marinette from her mind that she walked confidently to the school exit. She faltered a little bit as she kept walking; she thought about how nice it would be if she had a _real_ friend, and she thought about how Marinette had tried to be just that.

 _No_ , she told herself. _I need to stay away_ , she chanted, a mantra to reinforce the idea in the mind. _She could be Ladybug and Ladybug is deadly_.

However, all of those thoughts grinded to a halt when she stepped outside of the school and laid her eyes on the very Marinette Dupain-Cheng that had plagued her thoughts. Lila lowered her head and kept walking. Maybe Marinette wasn't waiting for _her_ and she could just walk on by and never look b-

"Lila!" The girl called out as she approached. Lila quickened her pace; she could pretend she hadn't heard or something and escap-

"Lila!" Marinette repeated, louder this time as her target had just passed her by. Lila squeezed her eyes closed and didn't stop, but the pleading note in Marinette's voice made her glance back.

That was the wrong move, because Marinette's sweet face was so full of guilt and shame and desperation that the sight of it wrenched Lila's heart. The hand that had been reaching out to Lila was slowly lowering in resignation. Her eyes widened and her legs slowed to a stop against her will. Because she had a terrible revelation. Because what if she had just been jumping to conclusions about Ladybug's identity? Because this was not the girl who had embarrassed her without regret in front of Adrien. This was the not the girl that had accused her with triumph in her eyes. And if this was not that girl, she had been mistreating an innocent student that had wanted nothing but Lila's friendship. And she ultimately may have ruined the possible friendship.

Lila turned around and looked at Marinette, knowing she could not ignore her for much longer. If Marinette had to yell for anymore, then everyone would hear her and look and see that Lila was the cause of it. And that was not the kind of attention that Lila appreciated.

Lila watched as Marinette's face suddenly lit up- _because I stopped ignoring her_ \- with a small smile. Her emotions seemed so genuine that Lila thought maybe Marinette wasn't the heartless Ladybug (to Lila, Ladybug's apology meant close to nothing), and that it would be okay to make friends with her.

"Can we talk?" Marinette asked as she got closer, looking Lila directly in the eye. Lila's brain sent up red flags and she was reminded that she had decided to avoid Marinette; this was the exact opposite of what she had planned. Lila steeled herself and took a breath, Marinette's gaze was overwhelming.

"O-of course!" She replied, wincing as she stuttered. She was embarrassed; there was no reason for her to stutter, especially when she had never done so before. Even when flirting with Adrien, she had been fearless and she had lead the conversation. Lila just _didn't_ stutter. It wasn't her. She was suddenly scared; what if Marinette knew that she had deliberately avoided her during lunch? Suddenly lying seemed to become a lot toughter when it came to Marinette.

"Did I do something to bother you?" Marinette asked, in a quieter voice. She looked down and fidgeted with her hands. "I'm really sorry if I did." She added, and then looked back up, holding Lila's gaze. She did not bring up the lunch incident.

Lila's shame came back in full force. She had been so wrong… so, so wrong. How could she have thought that Marinette was secretly Ladybug, and had been planning her demise? Lila wasn't sure if she had ever met someone with a heart half as good as Marinette's. She suddenly realized that she didn't want to be the one that had made Marinette look so sad earlier, and she felt ashamed because of it.

"I." She began, and then the words got stuck in her throat. Lila blinked in surprise; she was _never_ at a loss for words. Why couldn't she talk to the girl like she spoke to everyone else?


	3. Screamer

Marinette was actually surprised that Lila had turned around to talk with her. Because after Lila tried avoiding her twice now, why wouldn't she do that now?

But that was less surprising than the fact that Lila had begun to stutter. In all the times she's ever seen Lila, the girl had been confident, purposeful and a persuasive speaker. She wondered why now, of all times, she was acting strangely. Maybe because this conversation should be held in a more private area.

"We can talk somewhere else?" She asked, and Lila barely nodded. The two went down the stairs and stood behind the banister, Lila following Marinette without speaking a word. Somehow Lila did not dash away. Marinette turned to face Lila again, but she waited for Lila to finish her sentence.

"No." Lila finally said, after several seconds, but she didn't meet Marinette's eyes. "You didn't do anything." A relief swept through Marinette; she hadn't done anything wrong. But the relief was short lived, because she remembered that Lila lied (not once, but twice) and there was nothing stopping her from lying now. Plus there was no explanation given towards her earlier behavior.

"That's good to hear." Marinette said, and she stepped a bit closer, closing the gap between them until there was only a foot of space, so she could speak more softly. She looked away, as well. "But, um, if you don't want to hang out with me or something, you can just tell me." _Without lying about it and running away with Chloe Bourgeois._

Suddenly Lila's eyes flew open, seemingly in shock.

"And we don't have to be friends if you don't want to be." Marinette added truthfully. But she felt sad about that, especially since it had been her goal from the very beginning. She moved her gaze back to Lila's face, and was suddenly worried by the expression she saw. Lila's head was still tilted down, her eyes cast to the side still and her mouth in a small frown. Marinette sensed something was very wrong, or she had said the wrong thing and-

"No." Lila suddenly said, breaking the silence.

 _No?_ Marinette's face fell.

"I mean, no, it's not that I don't want to be friends." Lila waved her hands, attempting to clear up what she meant. Then her hands dropped back down to her sides. "I do, it's just-" Then she cut herself off, and Marinette's face brightened for a little, and then fell somehow even deeper than before. _It's just… what?_ The seconds that passed were too many, and Marinette rushed to fill them.

"You don't have to tell me if you can't." She said quietly. Lila blinked, and then she looked embarrassed. Marinette was shocked by the disparity between the flirtatious Lila that had made Adrien believe she was the descendant of a superheroine, and the Lila that seemed at a loss for words here. She wasn't sure what to think about it. What could have changed? But no more words seemed to come from Lila, so Marinette moved to walk away and say goodbye.

Lila was mortified. She was a skilled liar and she was _good_ at deception. The fact that no credible lies made their way to her mind was extremely worrisome; _why couldn't she just bluff her way out of this conversation_? She was even more embarrassed by the the silence that kept dragging on, which was entirely her fault. But she was also a bit shocked by the way Marinette handled it. She wasn't pressing her for more information, or forcing the conversation to go along. She was accepting Lila's brief moment of awkwardness, and she was allowing Lila _not_ to tell her.

Lila, for some reason, didn't want to lie about the reason. But she couldn't very well say _Oh Marinette, I think you're a really sweet and beautiful girl but I also think you're Ladybug, who I despise!_ So she was trying to figure out what to say about that. But her mind was empty and nothing was coming.

Then she saw as Marinette's face took on a resigned expression, and she began to move away. _Oh, no_. Lila's eyes widened and she watched as the girl slowly withdrew. Because the truth was that Lila really, _really_ liked Marinette for some reason, and she really wanted to be friends with her.

If Marinette left now, that would be the end of it. She'd never be able to face the girl ever again, especially not after this disappointment of a talk. The shame would be too much. And if Marinette wasn't Ladybug, this whole thing would be wasted.

Lila willed herself to act. She had to make up for whatever awkward, stuttery Lila had been trying to talk to Marinette; she needed her strong and perceptive Lila for this job. This was the _first_ girl that had wanted to be friends with Lila just for Lila, and not for anything else (at least she thought so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯). And she had tried multiple times to befriend Lila.

Lila couldn't afford to lose this.

"Look." She began, and Marinette halted in her steps. Marinette's face literally glowed with hope. Why was she such an open book? The sincerity in every emotion Marinette showed was killing Lila. But she pressed on. "I've been going through a rough patch in life and I'm dealing with a lot. None of it is your fault, I promise. " She said in a stronger voice, which wasn't as much of a lie. She still prayed that Marinette was just a normal girl who just happened to want to be Lila's friend. And not a superheroine that had humiliated her.

Then she looked down again. She felt like Marinette knew about the Chloe thing, and she wanted to explain herself before Marinette was the one who brought it up. Because she felt like she should try and be honest back (sort of) so they could have a friendship. She also partly feared that if Marinette was indeed Ladybug, she would somehow see through any other significant lies that Lila told.

"I'm sorry about lunch." She said, and then she didn't know exactly how to explain the whole thing, so she just left it at that. "I do want to be friends." Lila added, making sure that fact was known. And Lila knew that at least that part was one hundred percent genuine. There was just the whole Ladybug nonsense that would sway it. Lila decided then and there that she would befriend Marinette. But this wasn't just a bad life decision, because she would also try to confirm whether the girl was Ladybug or not. And when she discovered the truth, she make the ultimate choice there.

When Lila looked back at Marinette, she had never seen a more radiant smile in her life.

 _She had caused that happiness._ And then Lila, too, smiled, realizing she couldn't remember the last time she smiled with such heartfelt joy.

It was here that Marinette made the connection that Lila was acting so differently because she was trying to be honest. _Lila was trying to be honest with her_.

Marinette could have fainted. But she was very happy. When she had decided to befriend Lila from the very beginning, she had expected a much more painful process full of a lot of bragging, gloating and deception. She really only meant to become well acquainted or friendly with each other. Clearly she had misjudged the whole endeavor, and she was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. And she realized that this could become a much deeper friendship, where she could see Lila underneath all of her popularity and pride.

It was in this glorious moment of mutual happiness that there was suddenly a chorus of screams ripping through the air, followed by a ridiculously loud voice that was probably damaging the hair cells in people's basilar membranes (some fun knowledge about the human ear).

"I AM THE SCREAMER! NO ONE EVER LISTENED TO ME. AND NOW YOU WILL ONLY EVER HEAR ME!" The screeching voice continued. Both Marinette and Lila clapped their hands to their ears and watched from behind the stairs as a short figure that could not have been capable of producing a sound of that volume exited the school. They seemed to be a student (well they came out of the school, so…), but their akumatized form included bright blue hair all swept into spikes in one direction underneath a headset and narrow long sleeves that widened at the bottom, like a bell or a horn.

(image here: post/141972655697/quick-doodle-of-a-made-up-akuma-in-the-newest)

The person raised an arm and pointed it at some poor soul, who was assaulted with a torrent of bright blue rings. When the attack was over, the victim had a single ring of blue around their throat. They tried to scream again, but no sound came out. They were unable to speak until the akuma began to laugh, and then they laughed too, only to realize that the akuma's voice now controlled their voice.

 _Oh boy._

"Stay down!" Marinette whisper-shouted in the brief moment of calm, and both Lila and Marinette shuffled behind the bushes that were next to them. It was then Marinette realized she was in a bad situation; she was stuck with Lila and she had no idea how she would get alone to transform into Ladybug. The akuma then suddenly laughed again, only it was a volume that began to shake the ground. Marinette squeezed her hands tighter over her ears when the trembling in the floor knocked her crouching form backwards, right onto Lila. The two fell over and found themselves on the floor, Marinette sprawled out face-up and perpendicularly over Lila's body.

 _Oops oops oops._

Marinette moved to get up, but the sound forced her to clamp her hands back over her ears and she could not move for the life of her.

Mercifully the akuma stopped laughing and began to move away. Only the laser-like sounds of their attacks remained in the silence. That, and some terrified yells. Marinette finally sat up next to Lila, taking care not to hurt her.

"You okay?" She asked, rubbing one of her ringing ears. Lila had taken her own hands off of her head and she groaned.

"Definitely." Lila answered sarcastically. "I only had my eardrums blown out. No big deal."

Marinette snorted; she hadn't been expecting humor. She got up and pulled Lila up.

"You've got stuff in your hair." Marinette commented, and pulled out a twig.

"Just what I needed in my life." Lila said in monotone voice.

"I think we should hide in the school." Marinette decided, thinking. She could probably drop Lila off somewhere and then transform discretely. _Good plan_ , she thought. Marinette took Lila's unoccupied hand (the one that wasn't picking out unidentified items out of her hair) and pulled her back up the stairs and into the school.

When they re-entered the building, they found a bunch of students hiding in multiple areas. A good chunk of them had the blue necklaces wrapped around their necks. IT was only a matter of time until the Screamer started speaking again, and all of the victims would be echoing their words, no matter how far away they were.

"I'm going to find Alya. She was waiting outside for me." Marinette said to Lila went they got to a classroom. Suddenly Lila's eyes narrowed the slightest bit.

"I'll come with you." She said, and there was slight suspicion in her voice. "It's not safe alone." Lila added.

"You don't have to if you're scared." Marinette returned, pleading on the inside that Lila would just stay with the others.

"I'm not scared." Lila crossed her arms. "But friends shouldn't let friends go alone."

This was great news. But it was also terrible news. She supposed she couldn't shake Lila off just yet.

"Okay. But stay close, got it?" Marinette gave in, and the girls left yet again. She glanced down at her slightly open purse. Tikki looked at her from inside, sort of questioning. _I know, Tikki_. "Maybe she went to my house?" Marinette suggested. That was a safe bet. It was fairly close and it provided some safety. And perhaps she could say she need to use the bathroom and escape then. Lila shrugged, not really knowing. Marinette nodded and they sprinted away, Marinette's hand closed around Lila's.

If Marinette had glanced behind her, she would have seen a faint blush on Lila's face. But she had bigger things to worry about.


	4. Parents

Lila wasn't sure what had come over her. When she had pursued Adrien, she hadn't felt abashed or nervous. She had felt like she was on a mission with a goal to accomplish, and she had liked the idea of being in a relationship. All she had to do was look good in front of the boy and be attractive and then there would be mutual appreciation. She had picked Adrien simply because she seemed to the best choice.

When Lila had placed her hand on Adrien's, she hadn't felt anything more than triumph and pride.

But when Marinette had curled her fingers around Lila's palm, a rush of joy swept through her. When Marinette showed kindness to her, Lila hadn't even _needed_ to be extra flirty or to throw in any other lies to be liked, like when she told Adrien about being a descendant of Volpina and like when she told the more embellished versions of her (true, but less amazing than what she made them out to be) stories with celebrities. _Oh no_. The more time she spent with Marinette the more she realized that she really liked her, because it seemed Marinette also liked her just for being her (at least, she thought so). But if underneath it all she was Ladybug...

Lila _really_ hoped that this wasn't Ladybug. But she knew she could definitely find out that out today. Lila looked up at the back of Marinette's head, watching the short pigtails bob up and down. Then she looked out to the street. A Ladybug poster was up on a superheroine wore the same exact pigtails as the girl who held her hand, pulling her along.

Lila hoped it was coincidence. She needed it to be.

Marinette glanced behind at Lila, and she smiled.

"This is it." The girl said, and opened the door of a bakery. A bulky white man stood behind a display case of pastries. He wore an apron and had a bushy brown mustache on his face.

"You live in a bakery?" Lila asked, and then felt Marinette's hand leave hers. Awe.

"Marinette!" The man cried out and lumbered over, dragging the girl into a big hug.

"Dad!" Marinette threw her arms around her father. "There's a supervillain somewhere outside." She said as she stepped out of the hug. Lila observed the area, looking away from the affectionate hug. It made her a bit uncomfortable; her dad had never been one for embraces.

"You'll be safe here. You even have me to protect you!" The giant said with confidence, and struck a dorky pose.

"You should probably leave that to Ladybug and Chat Noir." Marinette said, giggling. Lila was suddenly shocked, never having seen something so pure as a cute girl such as Marinette laughing happily.

"Hah! They're no match for _Super-Boulanger!_ " The dad continued, giving a booming laugh, at which Marinette cringed a bit. (boulanger = baker)

"We should probably try to keep quiet. The supervillain is attracted to loud noises, I think." She said, at which the Dad went "oops." Lila looked between the two, and felt a faint ache in her chest. _Not jealous, not jealous_.

Then a much smaller Chinese woman came down the stairs, holding an empty laundry hamper. She had short hair that curled under her ears. Lila assumed that this was Mrs. Cheng, and the large man was Mr. Dupain.

"Oh, Marinette! I just took your clothes out of the dryer because a certain _someone_ forgot that it was his turn to do laundry." She said, shooting a scolding look at the man as she put the hamper down.

"I had a whole tray of croissants in the oven! I had to watch them." The man said, aghast. The woman tutted playfully until she noticed Lila.

"Oh! This is my friend, Lila. We were at the school together when the supervillain attacked." Marinette explained, gesturing to the student. Lila stepped forward a little shyly. She was suddenly feeling giddy. _I'm already meeting her parents_.

"I'm Lila." She said, unsure of what else to say. "Thanks for having me over." Lila added, even though she wasn't exactly invited for dinner or anything. Mr. Dupain laughed heartily.

"Of course, anytime. I'm Mr. Dupain, proud father of this little girl." He said. "Would you like a croissant? Fresh out of the oven." He offered, walking back behind the counter. Marinette rolled her eyes; clearly this was a normal occurrence. Lila chuckled and watched as Mr. Dupain pulled out a steaming tray, full of golden croissants. Lila may have had a ridiculously elegant and filling meal not too long again, but the idea of eating the food made by Marinette's parents was extremely alluring. Not only that, the smell was mouthwatering.

Then Mrs. Cheng jumped on the bandwagon.

"Would you like any other snacks? We can make anything." She said with a big smile. Lila was slightly surprised, taken aback by the sudden warmth directed towards her. It was weird and foreign. There was a sudden break in harmony in her thoughts. Lila had used to do anything to gain the approval and attention of her parents. But the two were busy; so busy, in fact, that they spent more time working than they did with their only child. Lila had grown used to empty houses, and she had all but given up on spending much time with her parents.

So when Marinette's parents reached out to her with nothing but goodwill, Lila wanted nothing more to accept that into her heart. But it felt wrong; she wasn't used to it; she'd never had that for herself before.

"They're not going to stop." Marinette said quietly from behind, sheepish, not understanding Lila's silence. But Lila's desire for comfort won out over the strangeness of it all.

"Come look over what we have, you can have whatever you want." Mrs. Cheng added, and gestured for Lila to walk over.

Marinette knew she could tell her parents to stop, but she realized this was an excellent opportunity to sneak away.

"I'll be right back! I need to use the bathroom." She said, and slipped away, knowing her parents would at least distract Lila for some time. She climbed up the stairs to her room and then up to the roof, reveling in both her victory and the afternoon wind.

"Ok, come on Tikki. Let's go!" Marinette called out, and a familiar red blur flew out of her purse.

"Marinette, why are you trying to be Lila's friend?" The kwami asked, halting Marinette in her words.

"What do you mean? I'm making up for what I said earlier." She replied, confused.

"Because you feel guilty?" Tikki said. "Is that all?"

"Of course I felt guilty! And I don't understand what you're trying to say." Marinette confessed, when a familiar laugh started echoing all around them.

"We'll talk about it after, then." Tikki said. "It's time to do something about this akuma." Marinette nodded.

"Transform me!"

And it was with a swirl of sparkles that Marinette vanished, and in her place stood Paris's favorite hero.

Ladybug grabbed her yoyo and flew off, soaring through the sky and searching for the Screamer. But the akuma's voice was coming from all over, and she couldn't pinpoint the original source. Ladybug landed on a building not too far from the Eiffel Tower, and opened the communicator on her yoyo to call Chat Noir. The hero appeared on the screen.

"Chat Noir! Where is the akuma?" She asked, glancing around the area before peering back down at her yoyo.

"You're late, my lady." The blonde said. Chat appeared to be running. "It's at the Louvre, but something tells me it's not here to admire the art." He said, and then narrowly dodged a circular blue necklace.

"Sorry. I'm on my way, don't worry." Ladybug replied, and slid the yoyo cover back down. If Lila hadn't tried to stay with Marinette, she probably could have freed the akuma by now. She wasn't mad at her, exactly, but she was worried. Because it felt like Lila was definitely suspicious of her despite Tikki's claim from before. But it was also true that no one had seen her transform or anything, so she had no idea why Lila would know. There was nothing that could have tipped Lila off.

Ladybug saw the Screamer standing the top of the Louvre. It was then that they spoke into their headset, and all of a sudden the earth rocked with the volume of the voice.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir, give me your Miraculouses!" The loud voice said. "Or else everyone in Paris will be hearing my voice for a _long_ time!" The Screamer laughed again, their words amplified by hundreds of victims.

"There you are, Princess." Chat Noir landed next to her as the words ended. "I was a little worried for a second there."

Suddenly the Screamer raised a bell-shaped arm towards the sky.

"Get them!" They yelled, and the two heros winced as their ears were assaulted. Ladybug saw a torrent of blue circles heading towards them and she grabbed Chat Noir's wrist and ducked out of the way.

As they flew across the tops of the buildings, Ladybug with her yoyo and Chat Noir with his staff, they could see a worrying hoard of people following their location. Everyone marked with a blue necklace not only echoed the Screamer, but followed their will as well.

"Chat Noir, the akuma is in the headset. Do you think you can get it?" Ladybug shouted over the wind, dodging the attacks.

"Let's see!" The cat replied, and changed course to head towards the Screamer. Ladybug paused on a roof to think about a plan. She was rudely interrupted by the roof access door bursting open, revealing none other than Chloé Bourgeois, who seemed both terrified of the akuma and excited to see Ladybug.

"Chloé?!" Ladybug exclaimed, in both horror and surprise.

But because of the Screamer, there a glowing blue band around her neck and nothing came out when she moved her mouth.

The Ladybug thanked the heavens that at least she wouldn't have to hear Chloé's voice. But that thought was fairly short, because the Screamer forced the girl to launch herself towards Ladybug. Chloé's arms wrapped around the superheroine's waist and bore her down to the ground. Her lips appeared to be giving apologies, but no one could tell in the end.

As Ladybug wrestled with her most favorite person in the entire world, The Screamer let out another cackle and leaped off of the Louvre, heading towards her. The cackle made its way out of Chloé's mouth, ringing in her ears.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug shouted as she dodged Chloé's grab for her earrings. She prayed that her partner would at least hold off the Screamer while she tried to get Chloé off. Ladybug managed to get her foot underneath Chloé's stomach and push the girl off. She stumbled back, and despite being controlled by the Screamer, was disgusted enough by the footprint on her shirt that she managed to take a couple of seconds to furiously dust it off.

Ladybug leaped off the building to another roof, and threw her yoyo up into the air to summon a lucky charm.

"Marinette sure is taking her time." Mr. Dupain commented. He, Mrs. Cheng and Lila were seated on a couch as they watched the current akuma attack on the television. Lila blanched; _she had let Marinette get away!_ It couldn't be coincidence, could it? To be fair, she had been distracted by a pair of extremely loving parents who were armed with more than a decade's worth of stories about their daughter to tell and a display case full of too many pastries to count. Lila had learned more about Marinette in the last twenty minutes than she had the entire day (and she had probably tasted more desserts and breads than she had her entire life).

"Oh, it's that time of the month for her." Mrs. Cheng said, waving it off. "She's probably having cramps." Upon hearing this, Lila felt relief. Hopefully Marinette wasn't off fighting the Screamer, and was only fighting off the pain of Mother Nature (a pain that Lila was unfamiliar with, because her blood came without cramps; she was very lucky). But she felt like she needed to check, to make sure that Marinette was indeed _not_ Ladybug. She wasn't sure she could live with liking the girl who had humiliated her in the first place.

"I can go check on her, if you want." Lila suggested.

"That would be wonderful." Mrs. Cheng said. "But she will probably come down in a couple minutes."

Dangit.


	5. Talk

Marinette was very happy that she and Chat Noir had managed to defeat the Screamer fairly quickly, and she had left before even pleasing the press. She had soared to her house as fast as she possibly could and detransformed right on the roof. Tikki had fallen out of the transformation into her purse.

"We'll talk soon." Marinette promised the Kwami, and then hurried back downstairs. "Sorry about taking so long!" She apologized as she reached the bottom, and then promptly tripped and fell flat on her face. _Figures_ , she thought as footsteps rushed beside her.

"Marinette!" She heard her mom say as she got to her feet, hands pressed to the side of her face that hurt. Marinette blinked a couple of times, expecting her mom to be standing right next to her. But to her surprise, the person who had rushed to her immediately was neither of her parents, but Lila.

"Are you okay?" Lila asked, concern all over her face. Marinette was kind of surprised to see it.

"Eheh, I think so." Marinette replied, letting her hands fall from her face. There was no blood or throbbing, just a faint ache that remained all along the left side of her face. "I'm really clumsy, don't worry." She added, waving Lila off. But Lila moved closer and touched the tender side of Marinette's face with her hand.

"Are you sure?" She asked. Marinette froze and suddenly her heart sped up; Lila's hand was _really_ warm and she was staring at Marinette _really_ intently. Lila suddenly blinked, looked at her hand, realized what she had done and backed up, a flush on her face. "Sorry, it's just that, uh, the fall looked pretty bad." She said.

"No worries." Marinette smiled. But underneath her amiable expression, her heart was only speeding up and she was thinking about how easy it would have been to just lean forward. But she stopped herself; those thoughts were reserved for Adrien. She couldn't be unfaithful towards him.

Behind Lila, Marinette saw her mother suddenly look thrilled and share a whisper with her father. Oh boy.

"Thanks for letting me stay here." Lila said. "The um, the attack is over." She explained, gesturing to the TV.

"No problem!" Marinette said. "Anytime." She smiled again, and prayed that she was not blushing.

Lila was horrified, as she normally was whenever Marinette was in vicinity. She had _stroked_ the girl's _face_. She both regretted and didn't regret it, because Marinette was so pretty and nice but also because she didn't think Marinette was into her like that. She hadn't even thought she was into Marinette like that. Was she? Or were they just gal pals? Just gals being pals? Gals palling it up?

"My parents are probably wondering where I am. I should go." Lila said, desperate to escape the situation. She felt a pang, because her parents probably weren't wondering at all, and were probably working (and would be working until late at night) as per usual.

"See you tomorrow!" Marinette waved at her, seemingly unfazed by what happened.

"Bye." Lila thanked the Dupain-Chengs once again, and then fled, the moment she exited the house she felt her embarrassment return full force. _I cannot believe I just did that_. _And to Ladybug! Of all people!_

At least, she assumed that was Ladybug. Maybe. Lila walked and tried to compose herself. Now that she was back in public she needed to be cool and collected. But it was hard, her mind was racing. Not only had she touched Marinette's face, she had heard several stories of the girl's childhood. She was getting to know Marinette more than she had intended; all she'd needed to do was find out if she was Ladybug or not. Now she wasn't sure she could even face Marinette again. It was like she'd gone back to the first stages of meeting Marinette, when she'd decided to stay as far away as possible.

But she wasn't sure she could even do that now. Because she wanted to see Marinette and she wanted to talk with her. Because Marinette was the only one who wanted to be Lila's friend for Lila.

Or so she thought.

After Lila had left, Marinette returned to her room to talk with Tikki.

"Do you only want to be friends with Lila because of what you said as Ladybug?" The small red creature asked.

"What? I mean, I guess? I was really mean to her, Tikki. I need to make up for that." Marinette answered, lying down on her bed. "Isn't it the right thing to do?" She asked. Because Marinette definitely thought so.

"It is important that you make up for your mistakes, yes. But it seems like you don't even like Lila. You're just being her friend because you feel obliged to." Tikki said, floating near Marinette's face. Marinette mulled this over thoughtfully. Did she actually like Lila? After all of the lies and the trouble she had caused when akumatized, after hurling Ladybug's apology into the trash, after all of that… how could she like Lila?

"I…" Marinette began, and then thought back to their talk earlier. Because then Lila's facade had fallen away and she had been honest. She had expressed a want for Marinette's friendships. And she had been nice after that, even if it had held Ladybug back for a little bit. She had apologized for lying during lunch. But it still hurt to know she'd gone with Chloe of all people.

"Do you like Lila?" Tikki asked quietly. Then she remembered when Lila had brushed her cheek with careful fingers, her eyes full of concern. Marinette thought she'd liked her, at least a bit. She'd thought they could definitely be friends.

"I don't know. I think so." Marinette said truthfully. "Am I making a mistake, Tikki?" She asked, suddenly worried. She sat up and let the kwami settle down on her hands. In all of her time with Tikki, the kwami had always offered good advice.

"I think you need to make sure you aren't just befriending Lila out of pity." Tikki said

"Marinette!" Mrs. Cheng suddenly called from downstairs. "Lila left her phone here, could you bring it to her tomorrow?"

It seemed the forces of life were drawing Marinette and Lila together. Tikki giggled as Marinette got up.

"Yes! I'll put it in my bag." Marinette sent a smile to Tikki as she replied to her mom and then went down.

Lila was only a couple minutes away from Marinette's house when she dug through her bag for her phone only to realize it wasn't there. She was not happy with that development. But she wasn't sure she was up to going back to Marinette's. Hopefully she could just get it tomorrow and Marinette could return it to her.

Then she thought about how much nicer it would be at Marinette's then to go back to her empty house and have a microwave dinner. The French always made eating a big deal, and always had like forty-six courses to a single meal. But Lila's parents never had enough time to prepare meals like that. Very occasionally her parents would make a quick breakfast for her in the morning before she woke up. Other than that she was capable of feeding herself simple things.

Before coming to Paris, she had moved to at least four other countries. But before that, Lila had gone to boarding school in Italy, because her parents hadn't the time to take care of her, nor was Lila old enough for all of the travel. Back then, she had wanted nothing more than to go with her parents and spend more time with them. And she had convinced them to let her go along with them.

While she had enjoyed the travel and the ability to meet new people and even celebrities, she kind of yearned for the sort of stability she'd had back when she was in boarding school. And while she did see her parents more often, the times she spent with them were close to nothing. It hadn't been worth it. She was never in any one place long enough to develop close friends. Even the people back from her boarding school moved on, rarely keeping up with Lila. Everyone was only impressed with her voyages and her connections, and no one wanted to know her personality.

Until, it seemed, until Marinette.

Maybe it had been worth it…

Lila kept walking. Because she realized it might not have been worth it if Marinette was Ladybug. She didn't know if she could handle Marinette if that was the truth.

Lila kept hoping.


	6. Phone

Marinette, for some reason, was feeling nervous about returning the phone. She had also felt like unlocking it and perusing what was there, but she was a decent human being and after the whole fiasco with Adrien's phone, she wasn't going to risk it. So she slipped it into her purse alongside Tikki, and went on her way to school.

She was mostly feeling anxious about seeing Lila again. After what Tikki had said her, she had started thinking a lot about Lila. Marinette understood the problem with her way of thinking. She shouldn't be seeking friendship out of guilt, she should be seeking friendship out of a genuine desire to know her. But she wasn't sure how much of a desire she had to get to know Lila. All she knew was that Lila may or may not have set her heart racing at one point.

But that was normal if someone got close to you and touched your face, Marinette reasoned. And it also seemed as if Lila did want to get closer to Marinette. And if they spent more time together, Marinette would get to know her even more. And Marinette thought that she would appreciate seeing more of the honest Lila she had been blessed with. Because it was intriguing to see the side she had never shown before. She may have hated the lying side, but seeing the more honest Lila attracted Marinette.

Marinette wondered if Lila would keep lying about Ladybug, and if she would lie about anything else in order to get attention. Then she suddenly began wondering why she had wanted attention in the first place. She was so deep in thought she didn't even notice Alya had started walking beside her and had been talking for at least two minutes until she simply poked Marinette in the side.

Marinette literally yelled in surprise, and then fell backwards and promptly knocked over whatever poor soul had been behind her. Unfortunately for her, that poor soul turned out to be Adrien Agreste (as she could tell by his own shout of terror), and Marinette's face suddenly flushed bright red and she shot a death glare to Alya (who grinned) from where she lay on top of Adrien. She then scrambled to get up, spewing apologies all the while.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" She huffed out in embarrassment as she stood, and then reached out a hand to Adrien, who merely laughed.

"It's fine." He replied, and then took her hand. Marinette realized what just occurred and she nearly keeled over and died. _She was holding Adrien's hand._ Before she could have a seizure, she pulled him up. However, she accidentally used the strength she reserved for when she pulled on her yoyo to fly across Paris, and he not only got to his feet, but he also lurched forward, crashed into Marinette, and the two were down once more. From Marinette's position she could see Alya discreetly give a thumbs up, and she sent yet another glare as it was this time Adrien who scrambled to his feet and pulled Marinette up.

When she was finally face to face with the poor boy, she realized with a start that even though she'd been momentarily stunned by the thought of having crashed into him, her heart was not beating as furiously as expected.

"Sorry about that." She said, still vaguely mortified by the whole event.

"Don't worry about it. You're pretty strong, though." Adrien laughed. "I wouldn't want to get on your bad side."

"Haha, yea, I'd be a menace to deal with." Marinette joked, and then she heard a sharp gasp of surprise from Alya behind her.

"Well, see you in class!" Adrien said as he waved, and then he ran a bit to catch up with Nino.

"Marinette, I think you're finally getting used to Adrien!" Alya exclaimed as quietly as she could. "You didn't even stutter!"

"Alya, I'm going to end you." Marinette hissed.

"Hey, not my fault you were ignoring me." Alya shrugged. "What were you thinking about so hard?"

"Uh… Lila?" She replied. "She forgot her phone at my house yesterday." Marinette added, and then she suddenly remembered that she had gone to her house yesterday to find Alya. She had completely forgotten.

"Lila was at your house?" Alya asked.

"Yea, during the akuma attack. I couldn't find you after it left the school. I went to my house to check, but you weren't there. So Lila and I just stayed at my house until it was over."

"I was following the Screamer, obviously." Alya laughed. That made sense. "I got some good videos on the blog."

"Cool! I'll check them out later." Marinette promised, when she saw Lila at the foot of the stairs. "Hold on, I need to give this back." She told Alya, who nodded, and then walked on over.

"Lila!" A familiar voice called out happily. Lila blinked and turned around to see Marinette with a smile on her face, waving at her as she approached. Lila suddenly blushed, because for a moment she thought Marinette was happy to see her. _No, you idiot. Marinette's always cheerful._ "You forgot your phone!" She added as she got closer.

Ah, yes, she had been waiting for this. She had planned to find Marinette on various social media sites before she went to sleep, but she realized she did not have her phone, and she was forced to get up and go to her computer and send friend requests that way. Lila hoped she didn't seem desperate. She really wanted to be friends (gal pals) with Marinette. She was a little embarrassed by how much she wanted that, but she reasoned that it would only make sense since Marinette had reached out to her with a desire for friendship as well. And most people never did that for her.

"Hi." She answered. _Be cool_. Lila watched as Marinette opened her purse and took out Lila's phone.

"Here you go." Marinette said, holding it out. Lila reached out for it, and glanced away when she felt her fingers brush against Marinette's.

"Thank you." Lila worked a smile on her face. Then she prepared herself. "Could I have your phone number?" She asked, moving to open a new contact page.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Puh-leez, don't tell me you're getting all friendly with _her_ , Lina." A familiar haughty voice said. Lila looked to the side to see Chloé halfway up the stairs, with Sabrina close behind.

"What?" Lila looked between to the two, not quite understanding what she meant. It hadn't been too bad, when she'd had lunch with Chloé and Sabrina. The two were both kind of annoying, but they expressed admiration for Lila, who reciprocated and pretended to be impressed by Chloé. It had been a symbiotic relationship.

"Yea, yea, you're jealous, we get it Chloé. You can go cry about it now." Alya said, flapping her hands as if she was trying to blow Chloé away. Lila looked at Alya, still vaguely confused because she didn't want to believe she'd hung out with an enemy of Marinette's. Chloé looked affronted at the comment.

"Stay out of this, Césaire." Chloé remarked. "Lina, I'll have you know that hanging around Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a waste of your time."

Lila realized with horror that it appeared Chloé was not any annoying brat but Marinette's worst enemy. _And she had avoided Marinette by going to lunch with her!_ Lila looked to Marinette, who was looking at the floor. Her hands were closed into fists, Lila saw, and they were trembling. _Oh no_.

"If I were you, I'd toss her out." Chloé continued. "That's really all she is, anyway. Trash. Her stupidity is infectious." She smirked, and then followed by Sabrina, continued her way up the stairs.

Lila watched as they took a couple of steps, and swallowed. She glanced again back at Marinette and Alya; both were seething. The right thing to do was to say something. Normally she was all about placating others; never about provoking. But Lila prized a relationship with Marinette over whatever fragile nonsense she'd formed with Chloé.

"That's really funny, coming from her. The only place she could have gotten that personality was from a garbage can." Lila said to Marinette and Alya, loud enough that Chloé could hear.

Alya's eyes widened, and then she snorted, and then she laughed. Marinette was shocked.

"What?!" Chloe's scandalized voice shouted from the top of the stairs. Lila shot her a steely glare and walked up to the top.

"You heard me." She said, adrenaline running through her veins. Then she swiped to her current contacts and opened Chloé's. "I guess it's time to take out the trash." Lila continued, heart racing, and pressed the delete button. She held the screen out to Chloé's face as the little trash can animation played. Then she pocketed it, and gestured down the stairs.

"Let's go, Alya, Marinette." Lila called out. The two girls made their way up, both holding back laughter and triumph.

"How _dare you_!" Chloé began, clearly angry. Lila glanced back at her.

"By the way, my name's _Lila_." She added, and then the three entered the school, where she suddenly exhaled a huge breath.

" _Savage_." Alya remarked upon entry. "That was absolutely savage."

"Oh my god." Lila said. "I've never done _that_ before. I- I didn't know she was bad." She thought back to her lunch with Chloé.

"Girl, I think what just happened here proves you're not on her side." Alya smiled, patting Lila on the shoulder. Then Lila looked to Marinette, who had a big grin on her face.

"That was amazing!" Marinette gushed. "There aren't enough people in the world who stand up against that menace." Lila was suddenly overwhelmed with joy; hearing Marinette's approval made her heart soar high.

Marinette had been expecting anything but Lila defending her. When it had happened, her heart swelled with joy. Sure, Lila's comment had been downright deadly, but it was nothing worse than what Chloé dished out on a regular basis. Even Marinette had her fair share of jabs towards the girl.

"Thank you." She looked at Lila. "Really. I appreciated that." Marinette said honestly. If she had had any doubts about liking Lila before, she definitely didn't have any now.

"I couldn't stand her saying those things about you." Lila confessed, and then she looked embarrassed again, as if realizing she'd said too much. Marinette's heart suddenly thumped. For some reason, those words seemed to be having an effect on her.

"You did the world a favor." Alya said, and Marinette agreed, face beginning to tinge pink.

Lila smiled, and Marinette realized how much she liked seeing her smile without deceit in it. She looked purely and simply happy.

"Can I have your number?" Alya asked. "Then I can tell you where to come have lunch with us. If you want." She said, hinting at the first lunch nonsense.

"Sorry about that, by the way. I, uh, clearly made a mistake there." Lila hurried to say, embarrassed yet again.

"No worries!" Alya laughed. "I think you've learned your lesson about Chloé anyway." Lila gave both of the girls her number, still blushing.

"See you at lunch!" Marinette said, and went off with Alya to their class.

When the two sat down behind Adrien and Nino, Alya commenced her assault.

"What do you think of Lila?" She inquired casually, setting her bag on the bench. Clearly Alya had something in her mind. But before Marinette could reply, another voice cut in.

"Awesome!" Nino chimed. "Not only did she talk to Spielberg for me, but she just destroyed Chloé!" He was very clearly impressed.

"She was really cool back there." Adrien remarked. Marinette privately wondered what he thought about the Volpina thing. But of course he would be nice about her. It was Adrien. For some reason, Adrien seemed a little less like there was a heavenly light illuminating his golden hair.

Their talk was halted by the very subject of their conversation walking in. She was clearly pissed and she sat down wordlessly. Ok then.

"I think we should all hang out." Alya decided quietly. "And we should invite our new hero along." She winked at Nino, who immediately reciprocated with his signature finger guns.

"Definitely!" He said. "You in, Adrien?" He looked at his friend, who smiled.

"If I'm free." Adrien smiled.

"That sounds awesome." Marinette breathed. She was going to go out with her friends, and with Lila!

She realized a second later that she should be mostly happy because she was going to go out with Adrien. But it seemed she was more excited to see Lila outside of school again.

Alya grinned, obviously beginning to have a revelation.


	7. Misunderstandings

For some completely unknown reason, Lila felt giddy about Marinette having her number. Granted, she didn't have Marinette's but she prayed that Marinette would text her soon and _then_ she would have it. Furthermore, it seemed as if she would be making friends with Alya, too, who appreciated her not only for her false association with Ladybug, but also because of her actions from earlier. And those actions reflected the Lila without her "vie incroyable" (incredible life). Lila hoped that she could also form a strong friendship with her, despite being a bit of jealous of her closeness with Marinette. If Alya was Marinette's friend, she must be a good one.

Lila wished she was in the same class as them. In her dreams she could sit next to Marinette and they could whisper to each other. In her dreams she could rest her hand on the bench between them and pray Marinette's pinky brushed hers.

 _I need to stop_. Lila shook her head and tried to focus on the class. There was only so much she could think about Marinette. What if she actually turned out to be Ladybug? Then she would be in some real trouble. Lila needed to tamp down on her desire to spend more time with Marinette until she found out the truth about her. Because she had promised herself she would never be friends with Ladybug.

When morning classes ended and her phone vibrated, Lila's hand moved at an inhuman speed to read the text: come over to the courtyard for lunch! this is marinette btw c:

Lila nearly yelled in joy, but she managed to hold back that urge and she shuffled out of her seat with elegance. Marinette's use of the emoticon was extremely cute, and it tugged at her heartstrings. She typed out a reply as she walked: on my way c u soon ;).

Lila had sent it before she realized she had put a winking face at the end and she suddenly reeled with horror. _Too much! This is too far!_ What if Marinette thought she was being creepy? _What's done is done_. Lila decided, and walked with purpose in her stride. _The past is in the past_. Her phone buzzed again and she seized it. Marinette's reply was a single :D emoticon. It seemed so innocent. Lila wanted to send a response but it probably would be redundant since she had just walked into the courtyard.

But when she saw Marinette, she sat not only with Alya, but with Adrien and Nino too.

"Lila!" Alya called out, waving. The other three turned to look at her, Adrien included. Adrien's gaze made Lila suddenly feel very, _very_ uncomfortable. He _knew_. Adrien was a witness to her wrongdoing and she felt extremely on edge. She had planned to avoid him indefinitely, and having this plan foiled disturbed her. But his smile seemed genuine.

 _Calm down. You don't even want to go out with him anymore. You never did._ Lila told herself. _And he probably won't even say anything; he's a nice guy. Probably_. Lila forced a grin on her mouth. As her eyes passed over Marinette, her smile became natural.

 _Clearly I am in too deep._ Lila realized, and she was suddenly extremely happy that there was an empty seat to the right of Marinette. She may have to deal with sitting across Adrien, but that was something she could suffer if she could be next to Marinette.

"Hey!" She said, both happy to see Marinette but feeling like she needed to tiptoe around her words because of Adrien. She could endure it. She could do it. She just had to believe in herself. And think of Marinette.

Marinette had surprised herself by asking Nino and Adrien if they wanted to eat with her and Alya. There had been a little stuttering, but not as much as before. Alya had nearly fainted in shock (rightfully so). She wondered if perhaps she was getting more confident around Adrien, or perhaps she was no longer crushing as hard as she thought she was.

As Lila made her way to the empty seat beside Marinette, Marinette wondered why she felt elated at that. She wasn't quite sure why. She could guess, but the conclusion wasn't exactly one she was ready to accept. She had spent so long gushing over Adrien that it felt wrong not to still be madly in love with him. She didn't have feelings for Lila… did she?

"Hey Lila!" Nino said all friendly. "I gotta say thanks so much for talking to Spielberg for me. I know you must be busy! It really meant alot to me." His eyes were full of appreciation.

"Of course!" Lila smiled in response. "Anything for a friend."

Marinette knew that Spielberg had indeed sent a short reply to Nino's fanmail; he hadn't been able to talk about anything else all of yesterday night. He had essentially texted all of his friends the news, and then posted pictures of the email on various forms of social media.

But this is where Marinette's mind began to ponder Lila's deception. Clearly she wanted to be liked, and she clearly had associations with famous people that her peers liked. She hadn't lied about Spielberg or anything else she'd told her classmates about except for Ladybug. So it wasn't that Lila was a rampant liar with nothing but attention in mind. She'd just wanted to be liked a little bit more. And she'd just wanted Adrien to like her.

Marinette thought that Adrien could have at least wanted to befriend Lila even without the Ladybug lie. The lying hadn't been necessary. She blinked, out of her thoughts and back into the conversation.

"And I wanted to tell you that you were super cool this morning when you destroyed Chloe. Oh man, that was awesome." Nino looked at Lila in admiration. Marinette felt a rush of joy. If the others liked Lila as much as she was beginning to think she did, then Lila would have more friends and perhaps she wouldn't feel the need to lie. Then her eyes passed over Adrien, and she realized the error in her ways. How could she have been so oblivious? There was no way Lila would want to be around Adrien after the whole Volpina fiasco. Another wave of guilt drowned out the joy in Marinette. She had screwed up.

 _He'll probably be nice about it_ , she consoled herself. _Adrien's a good guy, that's why I like him so much_.

"Yea, that was really impressive." The boy in question said, and Marinette discreetly looked over at Lila to see if she was about to keel over and succumb to the sweet relief of death. But to her surprise, Lila only looked slightly surprised, and there was a slight blush on her face. Suddenly Marinette realized that Lila still might have feelings for Adrien.

 _Why in the world did I think she was over him so fast?_ Marinette groaned inwardly, suddenly feeling a little empty inside. Obviously this was because she, too, was still in love with Adrien. At least, she thought that was the cause of her sudden emptiness. After a solid several months of being unable to speak in Adrien's presence, it only made sense that he still made her heart throb. At least, she thought so. Marinette stole a glance at Adrien. He was still as beautiful as ever, with glowing golden hair and striking green eyes. His smile was full of kindness and joy and he looked at his friends with genuine affection.

He was still the same as always. So why wasn't he making Marinette feel the same as always?

Lila was feeling happy like she never felt before. Sure, she had felt on edge because of Adrien's mere existence, but he had ignored the whole disaster and had been kind the whole time. After everyone had placed their bags on the table, the five of them went to get lunch from the cafeteria (or, as the French called it, _à la cantine_ ). The French were notorious for having extremely good lunches that were nutritionally balanced and very filling. So it was with a tray full of not one, not two, not three, but _four_ different plates that all of the students returned to the table they had snagged. First course was a sizeable amount of fresh cucumber and tomato salad, while the main dish consisted of roast beef with baked potato. As expected, one of the plates simply had a bit of bread. Today, it was slices from a baguette. The dessert was a small apple tart.

Lila was so fixed on the food (she hadn't had a filling, proper meal in _ages_ ) that she nearly didn't notice Marinette staring a lot at Adrien. Alya, Nino and Adrien were engaged in a conversation regarding one of their classes together. Marinette occasionally contributed some remarks of her own, but her attention was split between eating quietly and shooting glances at Adrien.

Did Marinette like Adrien?

Lila ate her salad and glanced around the table. Despite having been invited to eat with a group of people, she suddenly felt left out. Because these four have probably always known each other and Lila was just a newcomer. Why did she think she could fit in so easily? And the one girl who had extended a hand to Lila in the first place was too busy gazing at someone else. For some reason, Marinette was talking a lot less than usual.

It used to be so easy to be the center of the attention. She could namedrop a couple of famous people, tell a few stories, and then people would be clustered around her immediately. But here she felt like she wanted these people to like her for _her_ and not for anything else. And she didn't know how to do that. All she had done was give some comeback to a snotty girl, and that was old news by now. They were done talking about that. The horrible feeling of solitude suddenly came back to her.

"Is your Physics class just as bad?" Alya's voice suddenly asked. A silence followed, and Lila looked up to realize that they were talking to her.

"Our teacher yells at us all the time. Half of the time it's for no good reason, anyway." Nino said, breaking the silence. He seemed to understand that she had zoned out a bit. Or perhaps he sensed that she was feeling left out.

"Actually no." Lila replied, "I have a really boring teacher who kind of just reads out of the book the whole class." She laughed a bit, "Everything he writes on the board comes directly out of the book. I don't think he knows how to teach without it."

"Sounds better than what we have, at least." Alya chuckled.

The four students continued on with lunch, and they engaged Lila in the conversation. They talked about school, about hobbies, and about other things. She felt more relaxed than she normally would have when talking to people. Because when she talked to others she was all ready to absorb attention and admiration with the personality of a strong, independent and fun girl. But here she was being herself, underneath it all, and she was given as much a share in the conversation without her lies. While Lila slowly started to feel at ease again, she was still bothered by the fact that Marinette wasn't paying much attention to anything but Adrien. Apparently no one else noticed, because no one else said anything.

It seemed to be a confirmation that Marinette was indeed in love with Adrien. And it hurt, because Marinette's attention had been all Lila wanted. Marinette had been her friend first, and now she was barely talking to her.

Lila was becoming dreadfully aware that she was having feelings.

 _Maybe it's just really hardcore gal pal feelings_ (They were most definitely not).

The whole thing was a horrible battle. Lila wanted Marinette's attention and she wanted to be closer with her. But all the while she dreaded that she would find out that she was Ladybug, who had humiliated her and embarrassed her and made her feel so terrible that she had been infected by a black butterfly. How could she ever look at Marinette again? How would she feel when she found out that the girl she liked the most had made her feel disgusting and shameful? She couldn't get too close.

But her heart said she should.

Marinette's mind was lost in a swirl of debate. Did she still like Adrien? Why was her heart not fluttering the way it used to be? She was so preoccupied with this dilemma that she barely paid attention to the conversation.

She was looking at Adrien like he was a puzzle (at least, when no one was looking at her she was). He used to make her cheeks go red and render her speechless. But that wasn't happening anymore. Maybe she was just getting more used to him? Or were her feelings towards him disappearing? Or… was she developing new feelings towards someone else?

She had been thinking too hard and too long about it. It was giving her a headache. Marinette turned her attention to the talk.

"So, Lila, what do you think we all go out this weekend?" Alya asked, gesturing over their empty trays. Marinette looked over to Lila, who suddenly got red in the face again. But she smiled. And it seemed so genuine that suddenly Marinette wanted to make Lila smile like that all the time.

 _Oh_. Marinette thought. But then she pushed it out again; she wasn't thinking about that stuff anymore. At least for now. Even if what she suspected was true, it wasn't going to work out because Lila already liked someone else. _And I ruined that…_

"Where?" Lila inquired. Marinette blinked, almost taken aback by the sheer cuteness of that voice. And she wondered why Lila was so different with these people, with her, then when she was with the other students. With others she was outgoing and popular and full of interesting stories. She was confident and flirtatious and she was the leader of the conversation. Maybe that was a facade for popularity. Here she seemed freer and more relaxed, and she spoke comfortably. And maybe this was the real Lila.

Marinette felt lucky that she could see it.


	8. Get-Together

**NOTE: this is lilanette no matter what, dont tell me to turn it into adrinette. thx.**

 **also thanks for all of the feedback! i really appreciate it!**

* * *

Lila had plans. With people she actually wanted to see. Not because of their attention but because she genuinely wanted to know them. And they wanted to genuinely know her.

It had never been like this before. At least, not after beginning to travel with her parents.

After Alya had invited Lila to go hang out with her group of friends, the rest of the week had passed quickly. However, this did not come as a surprise to anyone, because she had been invited on a Friday. As such, only a single night had come and gone, and it was now present-day, Saturday. All they were doing was seeing a movie in the morning, and then having lunch somewhere afterwards. Somehow even Adrien was free, but he would have to leave directly after having lunch. This did not bother Lila. Even though she thought he was no threat to her, he still made her feel kind of _eugh_ after the whole Volpina nonsense.

After all, all she really wanted was to spend more time with Marinette.

 _No._ Lila thought sternly. _You are not getting feelings for Marinette until you discover the truth_. She reminded herself of Ladybug, and she effectively convinced herself that she totally did not have feelings for Marinette (we all laugh).

 _Okay, maybe not. But you are not acting on those feelings until you discover the truth_. Lila admitted she might have some feelings. But they were probably just little crush feelings and nothing major. For all she knew they could be some strong gal pal feelings. She hadn't had a close gal pal for a long time. Not for several years. Everytime she moved she made new friends that forgot about her fairly soon. And even then, the friends were only interested in her connections. Her empty house remained empty. Her contacts list maxed out. Her inbox filled up with requests from numerous people, but her sent texts amounted to very little.

It was then that Lila realized how pitiful her social life was. This was something of a periodic thing she thought about it.

This was always followed by the thought that she had picked this life. She had been the one to join her parents on their endless travel. She had made that decision. And if this was the consequence, she had to deal with that.

Suddenly she thought about the inevitable future, where she would have to leave Paris and go to wherever next her parents needed.

Lila stopped that train of thought right there. This was not the time for that. She hadn't even showered yet. And it was, uh, Lila glanced at her phone and she realized she had about ten minutes until she had to be at Marinette's house.

It was here that Lila cursed herself and all of her descendants, and then proceeded to take the fastest shower known to mankind, outpacing even the most skilled shower-takers.

Marinette had to admit that she may have worried a bit over what to wear. Because she'd had this ridiculous thought that she wanted to impress Lila with her apparel. So it was a little disappointing that she was waiting outside the bakery with everyone except Lila, wearing one of her cuter outfits.

 _No, wait, this is totally for Adrien. Right._ Marinette thought to herself. She was wearing a sleeveless white shirt tucked into a high-waisted dark blue skirt, and she wore her signature black flats and jacket. It wasn't a drastic change, but Marinette didn't wear skirts that often. She had also prepared by equipping shorts underneath, in case the spring wind decided to strike.

"You look cute! Adrien will love it!" Tikki had said earlier. Marinette had laughed nervously because she knew Tikki was slightly off the target. And it wasn't like Marinette could deny that she wanted a certain someone to love her outfit. She just didn't know how much she wanted that.

When Alya had been the first to arrive, she had made a similar comment.

"Or is it for someone else?" She'd inquired with a wink. Marinette had laughed it off, because she couldn't really trust her own conclusions at the moment, and she wasn't sure what Alya would think of her feelings towards Lila. _It's been like three days_. Marinette sighed inwardly. _Well, four, if you count Volpina_. Then again, it had only taken two days for her to fall hopelessly in love with Adrien. C'est la vie for the poor bisexual girl.

Suddenly Marinette's pocket vibrated, and she grabbed her phone.

Lila: im so sorry ugh i forgot to set my alarm :'(

Lila: omw

Lila: :( :( :(

Marinette smiled a little bit at the excessive emoticons. She was about to tell her friends why Lila was a bit late when suddenly the bakery door crashed open, effectively stunning everyone in the shop. Lila stood there, clearly out of breath and panting hard, and she braced herself against the doorframe.

"Here." She wheezed, and then she took a single deep breath, stood straight up, tossed her somehow-impeccable hair behind her, and walked forward as if she hadn't just ran several miles across Paris at an olympic speed (in heels, too). All four of them stared, impressed by her rapid switch from exhausted wreck to a stunning, model-esque girl. It was something of a callback to Lila's first day here. She had the same air as before and she held herself with pride.

Not only did she exude confidence, her outfit was somehow even more fashionable. She looked like she belonged on the runway. Marinette was a bit in awe at her beauty. It seemed illegal for someone to look so beautiful. She looked from Lila to gauge everyone else's reactions, and when her eyes passed over Adrien, she had the horrible image of the two fashionable and beautiful students _together_. It actually wasn't that horrible; it was just too much beauty for her mind. And it was also Lila with someone else.

It was funny how she had been worried about Lila stealing Adrien before and now it appeared to the be opposite.

 _No, wait, I'm not in love with Lila._ Marinette reassured herself. _I like her as a friend. Maybe_. (cue laugh track)

"You took your sweet time." Alya commented, but without malice.

"Sorry about that." Lila answered, and swept a hand through her bangs. Then she flashed a quick smile at Marinette, and her heart probably just gave out right there. "We're all here!" Alya said cheerfully. "Let's go!"

As opposed to Marinette, Lila had a better hold on her feelings. Lila had made a flash decision (contradicting everything she said earlier, oh Lila) that she could throw caution to the wind, and would attempt to woo Marinette. There was only so much she could stop herself from doing. And she decided that she valued Marinette's love more than the possibility of her being Ladybug. So Lila would go as far as she could, and if she found out that Marinette _was_ Ladybug, she would fall off the bridge when she got there. Although it would be more of a dive than it would be a fall.

Maybe Marinette's feelings for Adrien weren't that strong. And even if they were, Lila had decided she wouldn't go down without a fight. She wasn't one to give up what she wanted so easily (unless she was utterly humiliated in front of them).

So it was with that determination that she had slipped on the clothes she'd mercifully picked out the night before and made it to Marinette's only ten minutes late as opposed to thirty.

She had entered the bakery before remembering her plan to impress Marinette, and she had swapped her just-ran-a-marathon appearance to her about-to-have-a-photoshoot attitude. The look on Marinette's face had been exactly what she wanted. She was in awe and she looked at Lila in admiration (and everyone else, too had appeared impressed). Then Lila saw that Marinette, too, had, dressed up a little bit.

Lila thought that it was probably for Adrien, but she didn't let that bother her.

When all five of them had begun to walk, Lila made sure to walk next to Marinette. Alya was always on one of Marinette's sides, chattering away, and Lila stepped to the other side with ease. This was where she needed to continue putting her plan into action.

The thing is, acting had been easy when it was flirting for ulterior motives (the motive is always attention and appearance, let's be honest). But she had never flirted with someone she had actual feelings for. And Marinette was someone she could at least halfway-admit she had feelings for. Or, she could admit she at least did want to be closer with her.

So she was feeling extremely nervous about going any further with her plan, because the next stages involved saying flirty things and making physical contact. But every time she turned to look at Marinette and open her mouth she felt the words disappear from her throat. Because every time she looked over, Marinette was talking mostly to Alya and looking so dang cute that Lila just could not. It was a struggle.

In the end, Lila slowed her pace so that she then was in line with Nino and Adrien, who were walking behind the girls.

"Hey, Lila! So, how are you finding Paris?" Nino, said noticing her presence immediately. Adrien from the other side leaned forward a bit and waved.

"It's nice." Lila replied, wondering how much information about Marinette she could glean from a talk with these two students. "It's a really cool city." She continued. "Although I probably won't be here for much longer than a couple of months." Lila added.

"Really?" Marinette said, turning around and stopping. Lila prayed that is was dejection she heard in the voice, and she was surprised that she had even heard. The others stopped, too, and echoed their own comments of disappointment.

"What!" Nino exclaimed in disbelief.

"That's too bad." Alya frowned, laying a hand on Lila's shoulder.

People didn't want her to leave. Lila swallowed, suddenly feeling an ache in her heart. How often did she find people who actually liked her like this?

"It's life of a daughter of diplomats." She replied, laughing it off. Because getting pity was making her a bit uncomfortable.

"Still though." Adrien commented sympathetically.

"I guess we know what that means…" Alya cut in solemnly, using two fingers on the center of her glasses to push them back up the bridge of her nose like some ridiculous anime character. Then she looked up to the sky and extended her hand out to the heavens, two fingers pointing above. Then everyone else looked up, wondering whatever the heck she was looking at (there was nothing).

"We must make these months the _best months of your life_!" Alya announced as she looked directly at Lila. There was a brief moment of silence as Lila suddenly felt warmth in her chest.

"Definitely!" Nino agreed, after all of them stopped looking at the sky.

"We should." Adrien smiled.

No lie, Lila could feel the beginning of tears and she tried to blink them away, turning her head. She'd never felt so appreciated, or wanted, in her entire life.

"Let's do it!" Marinette said excitedly, and when Lila looked at her she literally felt her heart throb.

"Yes. We will show you a Paris you will _never forget_!" Alya continued, fire in her eyes.

"I…" Lila was at a loss for words, and she was dangerously close to letting loose twin waterfalls cascade down her cheeks. She hadn't realized how much she had missed being wanted. Where people were happy to simply hang around her, and not to get information on celebrities. Where people cared more about her than about her clothes or stories. "Thank you." She finally said, quietly as she attempted to discreetly dry her eyes. She hadn't cried in a long time, and certainly she hadn't ever done it out of joy before.

It wasn't exactly helping her look cool for Marinette, but she felt so happy she didn't mind. She could woo her later.

"Of course!" Alya gave a thumbs-up. The other three agreed, saying words of kindness.

"And to start it off, we don't want to be late for the movie." Nino said. "The first memory of an unforgettable Paris starts there."

"Yea, let's go." Alya and Nino gave friendly smiles, and then all of them resumed walking.

"There were lots of good reviews, so this should be pretty good, Lila." Adrien said, glancing behind at her and giving her a smile before replying to something Nino said. But Marinette stayed next to Lila, the two of them walking behind the other three as they talked about their expectations of the movie.

"Are you okay?" Marinette whispered and touched her arm. Lila turned to look down at the girl, tears mostly eliminated from existence. If she was going to cry, it wasn't going to be in public, and certainly not in front of Marinette.

"Yea." _I'm just really glad to have met you_. Lila thought to herself, but even that was too cheesy to say out loud. Marinette had shown Lila more amiability in three days than her parents had shown in years. Which was kind of sad, she realized. "All of you are so nice." Lila said, the spot on her arm feeling cold as Marinette's hand fell away.

"Um." Marinette said. "Were people never nice to you before?" She asked, and Lila nearly froze. Because that wasn't something she was willing to discuss outside of her thoughts.

Thankfully Lila didn't need to reply because then there was an explosion directly to the right of them, and large chunks of wall began to fly.


	9. Embrace

When Marinette had seen tears well up in Lila's eyes simply because people were showing kindness, she became _very_ concerned. She had to admit she didn't know a lot about Lila, but she knew that it wasn't normal to become emotional over that sort of thing. Marinette was used to affection from friends and family; they both showered her with it.

But Lila had been affected by it so much more. So much that she'd nearly shed tears. And so Marinette had asked, curious about why Lila had been so surprised. And she'd wanted to know exactly why. She could only think that perhaps Lila didn't get much affection from anyone. But to have so little that she was moved to tears at the first sight of it?

Lila said nothing, and even if she did, her words would have been masked by the sound of the building exploding, showering debris all over the street and them. Through the dust, Marinette could make out the vague shape of a person standing in one of the floors where the wall had broken, but nothing more than that.

Marinette's first thought was how to get away so she could transform, but before she could even form a plan, another large part of the building began to collapse.

"Look out!" Adrien's voice called. She moved to duck out of the way, but someone else was ahead of her and seized her wrist, pulling her out its way. But she had been pulled hard, and she fell on top of whoever had saved her, barely escaping the massive chunk. She blinked, trying to see who was beneath her, but there was a hand pressing her head down into the body. Then the debris hit the ground behind her, landing with a deafening crash. Before any other bits could land on her, whoever was beneath her rolled over so that it was Marinette lying face up on the ground. Marinette opened her eyes and squinted, trying to see among the dust and debris. But all she could see was a shoulder, because a hand still cradled the back of her head, and an arm was wrapped around her middle.

She was entirely pressed against the mystery savior. Marinette had to close her eyes again because there were still fragments of rock falling down. She was protected from it by the other person.

 _WooOAAH there_. Marinette's heart was racing. _Who was lying on top of her?_ But then she no longer heard anything hitting the ground, so she cracked open her eyes. There was still dust in the air, but everything that had been going to fall had finished falling. Marinette blinked a bit, and then saw long brown hair.

"Lila?" She said, muffled by the shoulder, heart picking up even more speed now that she knew exactly who it was that was holding her close. But Lila wasn't getting up. Marinette was about to lift an arm to tap Lila when all of sudden she was aware of being held even closer. Lila's arms were _tightening_ around her.

Marinette froze, her brain on the verge of shutting down due to too much blood rushing to her head. Both the hand cushioning her head and the arm around her waist suddenly seemed burning hot. And then all of a sudden Lila shifted her arms from underneath Marinette and lifted her body so she was on her hands and knees, looking directly down at Marinette. Her palms lay flat on either side of Marinette's head. Similar positions had happened in her life before, both of which occurred with Chat Noir and Adrien. The former had elicited no emotion but annoyance, the latter some embarrassment and joy, but nothing could compare to the surprise and unexpected satisfaction she felt right now.

First and foremost she was surprised that Lila had held her close. Then she was even more surprised that even though she was embarrassed, she actually _didn't_ mind the situation. In fact, she was surprised to find she was actually appreciative of it. Of Lila being so close to her. Because now as she looked up she saw only Lila above her, her beautiful face full of unreadable emotions but staring directly at Marinette with an intensity that made her want to look away.

But she couldn't. She was entranced. And in the moment she realized how easy it would be to cup Lila's face in her hands and bring it to hers.

Before she could do anything she might regret in the future, Lila's mouth suddenly widened in shock and her face became as red as her own, and she scrambled off of Marinette, spewing apologies.

"Oh my god _Iamsosorryohmygosh_." She was saying, looking mortified at what just conspired. Marinette sat up, still kind of in shock over the whole thing. But then Lila pulled Marinette up to her feet, bringing her back to reality. Then she stepped several feet away.

"I-it's okay!" Marinette said. "You saved me!" She seemed to be unable to control her voice, which was a bit high-strung and nervous. Lila, in complete contrast to her previous flirty and confident expression, was freaking out and looked like she wanted nothing more than to just pass out right then and there. As Lila was facing away from her, Marinette saw dust and dirt covering her entire backside. She looked to the side, where part of the building had crashed down and created a wall of debris that separated the two of them and the rest of their friends. The very debris that Lila had pulled her away from. And she felt a wave of appreciation course through her as she calmed down.

Marinette realized this was an excellent opportunity to run away and transform. But she couldn't just leave Lila like this. She approached Lila and touched her lightly on the arm. Lila jerked and turned her head. Marinette's face fell when she saw worry written all over her face, and then she felt resolve as she saw Lila look ashamed.

"Hey." Marinette said in a quieter voice as Lila turned all the way around, head tilted down.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't- I-I didn't mean to do that." She was trying to say. "Please don't hate me. Just… just forget it happened." Lila looked away as she said it, hands curled into fists. It hurt to hear Lila's voice like that. Marinette reached out a hand and rested it on one of Lila's. She jerked to attention and looked at Marinette, tears welling up yet again.

"You saved me." Marinette repeated firmly as she took Lila's hand in both of hers and looked her in the eye. "Thank you." Lila's eyes widened a fraction.

"But I… you…" She began before lifting free arm to wipe at her eyes.

"Marinette! Lila!" Alya's voice came from beyond the wreckage that lay beyond them.

"Are you okay?!" Alya was followed by Nino, and then Adrien all calling for them. At least they were okay.

"We're fine!" Marinette yelled back, and then looked back at Lila. She was just as much of a wreck as the building that had fallen. Marinette squeezed Lila's hand. "Thank you." She repeated, and then smiled.

"You don't… hate me?" Lila breathed, as if in disbelief.

"Of course not." Marinette said, and then she blushed because she realized the exact opposite may or may not have been happening. Or you know, she was becoming best gal pals with Lila. Because clearly that was always what happened with two girls who held hands. Then Marinette realized she was still quite actually holding Lila's hand with both of her own.

"We're coming over!" Alya's voice came again. Then they heard a clatter and a yelp of pain. "Okay, maybe you should come over!" Alya amended her previous statement.

"It's too steep for us to climb here!" Nino explained for her. Marinette let out a breath; they were fine. "Also, my foot hurts."

Clearly Nino had been the one to attempt the climb.

"I'll look for another way around." Adrien said in a quieter voice.

"We'll try to look for a way, too!" Marinette shouted again, and then when she looked back at Lila she saw complete and utter relief in her face.

 _She's glad that I don't hate her_ , Marinette realized, and then the follow-up realization was that Lila really liked her. How much, she wasn't sure, but it was a fair amount. Then Adrien flashed in her mind, and Marinette then recognized that she didn't really feel anything more than a desire for friendship with him. And the desire that she had felt for him had abated, and perhaps it had switched targets.

Marinette blushed harder as more feelings made themselves known. Then she remembered that she absolutely needed to get away so she could become Ladybug. She pulled Lila in for a quick hug of comfort.

"We need to get back to the others." Marinette said as she withdrew. Lila looked surprised again, and then she laughed.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be crying." Lila said. "I try to be cool but in reality I'm just… this…" She gestured to herself as she dried her face. "Normally I can keep it together but every time I'm around you I just…" Then she stopped herself and blushed, as if having said too much.

"Don't be like that." Marinette folded her arms sternly, despite another rush going through her at the words Lila spoke. _Around me.._. "You _are_ cool. You saved me, remember? Now, let's try and get over to the others. I'll check for a way over here, you can around that way. The akuma left, so I think we'll be okay." For some reason, Lila's face fell the slightest bit at her words, but she nodded.

"Be careful." Lila said, and the two split up. The moment Marinette had moved out, she remembered the feeling she'd had before during the last akuma attack. She'd felt like Lila _knew_ about her being Ladybug. Lila probably suspected her but she let them split up anyway.

Marinette didn't know what to think about that. Because Lila hated Ladybug. But despite that, it seemed as if she liked Marinette. Even if she suspected they were the same person.

"Looks like there's a new Adrien." Tikki teased as she flew out of Marinette's purse, and then she blushed again.

"Now is definitely not the time for that, Tikki." Marinette scolded. "Transform me!"

When the building had collapsed and Lila had seen that Marinette was in its path, she hadn't thought. She had just acted and pulled Marinette out of its way. And when Lila had pulled too hard in her haste and fallen down, she'd rolled over instinctively to protect Marinette from the debris.

But then she'd realized how nice it was to finally hold Marinette close. To be in such proximity with someone she liked and who liked her back. She'd gotten too into it, though, and she'd had the gall to hold Marinette tighter.

Lila had started this day with the goal to woo Marinette. She really had. But when she'd tried to be cool and confident around the girl it had all just fallen apart. She wanted to be forward and flirtatious. But when she had, she felt like she had gone too far. Like she'd gone beyond what was allowed and she was being creepy. Like Marinette wouldn't like her anymore. Because she'd gone and ruined it by stepping past the bounds of friendship. Lila hadn't even known if Marinette reciprocated her feelings and she'd just went and held her anyway. She'd even done the token anime romantic scene where she'd been on top of the dang girl.

Lila had wanted to kiss her. She knew it. But when she thought that, that was when she snapped out of her daze and realized that she had gone too far.

And even despite everything Lila had done, Marinette had accepted it all with compassion. How did someone so kind even exist?

But then Marinette had suggested that they split up. And then all of Lila's suspicions had come back to her. That no matter how sweet and kind Marinette was, she was also Ladybug. She may have been the girl to shine light in Lila's life, but she was also the girl that had pushed her down into the ground.

Lila thought about this as she looked around the wreckage. How much did she believe Marinette had actually gone around to look for a way over the fallen chunks of rock?

She didn't.

And when she saw a red blur leap out from the direction that Marinette had gone, she put her head in her hands.


	10. Realization

Lila _ran_ towards where she had seen Marinette vanish. _No, no, no..._

"Marinette?" Lila called out softly, feeling her heart beginning to pound. She needed to confirm it now. Lila peered around the hunk of building where Marinette had disappeared. Her worst fears were confirmed; Marinette was nowhere to be found. All she could see was a small red band on the ground. It was a hair tie.

Lila didn't know how to reconcile her thoughts. Sometimes she kept clinging to her hopes, but it didn't seem like she could do that now. She didn't want to believe Marinette was Ladybug. She had kept telling herself that she needed to know, that she needed to find out. But she occasionally thought that she didn't want to discover the truth. Because what if she did, and she learned that the girl she adored was also the girl she hated? Lila picked up the hair tie and sat down amongst the rubble, feeling hurt inside. She stared at the red color, thinking.

She really liked Marinette. She really did. Marinette was kind and sweet. She was friendly and she liked Lila. But when Lila thought about Ladybug, she recalled only the shame that had burned her body that time. She could only remember feeling angry and upset. And then she remembered the darkness of being possessed by Hawkmoth. Where her feelings for revenge were amplified and controlled every fiber of her being.

That was a bad time.

If Marinette was Ladybug, then why had she even approached Lila in the first place? Lila thought of when Ladybug had purified the butterfly, and of when she apologized. It seemed negligible in comparison to the damage Ladybug had done. Maybe Marinette felt guilty about what happened.

That would mean she was only being nice to Lila out of obligation.

Lila gritted her teeth. She couldn't think of any other reason. When Marinette had offered friendship in the very beginning, all Lila had thought was that she was being nice. That Marinette saw another potential friend in Lila. She had also indeed thought that Marinette could have been Ladybug and was planning something else. But Lila had decided that if Marinette wasn't Ladybug, she had simply been kind. And that after spending more time together, that Marinette actually liked her. And she'd almost convinced herself that Marinette was nothing more than Marinette.

Lila had always feared finding out that it was Marinette who had worn the red and black mask and hurled accusation after accusation at her. But thinking about it now, it felt like she had just known it all along and had been pretending like she didn't, just because she had feelings for her. Why did romantic feelings have to get in the way of logic? It had been obvious since the beginning. The truth had always been clear.

That meant Marinette never actually liked her either. She'd never wanted to be friends. She just did it out of guilt. Or some other ulterior motive. And Lila had liked her. But that didn't even mean much, considering that Marinette already was in love with Adrien Agreste. So it wasn't like a relationship could have even worked out, even if her wooing had been successful.

Lila was less mad about Marinette being Ladybug then she was about Marinette never having actually liked her in the first place.

 _You still don't know for sure,_ a small voice said in her head. _It could still all be coincidence_.

"Lila!" A voice called. It sounded like Alya. "Did Adrien get over there yet?"

"No." Lila answered, but it may have been too quiet to register. Then Alya said something else, but she tuned it out, not wanting to listen.

 _She thanked you_ , a voice said. _She didn't mind you holding her_.

 _She doesn't even like me._

 _Why would anyone like me?_

Just then she heard footsteps, and she looked up from her sitting position. It was Paris's other favorite superhero, Chat Noir.

"Chat Noir, at your service!" He said, and bowed. Lila scoffed; she'd had enough of super heroes.

"Isn't the villain somewhere else?" Lila looked away. More unwanted thoughts came to her head. Everyone knew that Chat Noir was head over heels in love with Ladybug, who was Marinette.

"It's not safe here, _mademoiselle_." Chat said. "Your friends on the other side told me to find you." Then he glanced around. "Speaking of which, shouldn't there be another girl here?" He asked.

"She left." Lila said, still looking away.

"Where?" Chat Noir inquired.

"I don't know." Lila answered bitterly. Then, without warning, Chat Noir crouched down and picked Lila up.

"Hang tight. I'll jump over to your friends." He warned as she suddenly felt furious. She didn't want anything to do with super heroes. She didn't want to go back to the others, she didn't want to see them. She wanted to go home and never come back.

"Let me go!" Lila hissed, beginning to struggle. "Put me down!"

Chat Noir nearly dropped Lila in surprise, and he put her down. "What's wrong?" He asked, stepping back several feet and giving Lila space. She felt hot and angry. She felt her heart beginning to pound as she breathed. Then she looked at Chat Noir, who had his hands up and worry etched in his face. He looked almost afraid for her. Maybe he was afraid of her. Of _Volpina_.

"Look. Don't you have to go to Ladybug?" Lila spat, anger coloring her voice. She felt overwhelmed with negativity. Of course the one girl she'd thought who liked her was actually her worst nightmare. Of course the one person Lila had developed feelings for had to be Ladybug.

"I…" Chat began, looking bewildered. Suddenly Lila saw a familiarity in Chat Noir's appearance. His hair was wilder now, but it was definitely hair she'd seen before. His green eyes were full of concern, eyes that Lila had once tried to keep on her. How _perfect_ for them!

"Just leave me alone." Lila said as her anger began to grow.

"I'm sorry." The hero said.

 _I'm sorry_ , Ladybug's voice echoed in her head.

Lila turned around and ran, adrenaline pumping through her veins as emotions filled her body. She felt tears coming yet again, and she felt an intense hatred for herself. Lila was mad at Marinette, at Ladybug, and now she was mad at herself. For crying, for fooling herself, for being weak around Marinette. For being weak around Ladybug.

For falling for someone like Ladybug.

 _Why…_

Ladybug already had someone who loved her, anyway.

Lila squeezed her eyes tight for a second as she raised an arm to wipe at her face. To think she cried earlier out of happiness! But then she'd felt her foot hit some solid, and she lurched forward. Lila crashed into the ground, her hands and knees taking the brunt of the fall. Her phone flew and skidded across the ground a couple of feet away, and then it vibrated. Lila shuddered as she sat back on her knees and looked at her hands. There were scratches all over her palms and tears on her leggings. But she got up.

She breathed as walked over to her phone, which had survived its own fall.

 _Alya: have u seen mari or adrien? where are u?_

Lila's eyes narrowed as she read the text, and then it buzzed again.

 _Alya: chat noir told us you didn't want to come over, r u ok?_

Lila shoved the phone deep inside her bag and continued walking, looking down at her stinging hands before curling them into fists.

 _You never really had friends before, why is this so bad?_ A thought said. Lila's legs began to speed up, and then she was running again. She was upset about too many things, and she felt like her chest would burst with the fury and sadness raging inside. The rage she felt about Ladybug, about Marinette, about her own life. But as she ran, the emotions abated. The wind brushed her face as she carried own, her hair waving behind her.

It was nice.

At least, it was nice until sparkles swept by in front of her, effectively stopping Lila in her tracks. She looked around her as the light moved on. And then swirls of pink and red were suddenly curling around her and the buildings about her, repairing damage. Debris floated from the ground and fixed themselves in their rightful places. People came out of their crouched positions, gasping in awe and appreciation as they witnessed this miracle. It was Ladybug's final move during every attack. A fresh wave of hatred coursed through her as she watched the last vestiges of the color vanish, leaving a perfect Paris in its place but doing nothing for the damage done to Lila's hands or to her heart.

As if that wasn't the worst of it, she looked up to the sky just in time to see Ladybug herself flying above. She was heading back to her friends. To Alya and Nino and Adrien. And Lila, except she was no longer there. Lila watched as Ladybug dropped down between two buildings not far from where she currently stood. And then she watched as Marinette Dupain-Cheng walked out from the same exact alley only seconds after Ladybug had disappeared.

Lila had known along. Her lip trembled. It had been so nice earlier today. She'd felt like she really had had friends. She'd felt like she'd finally found people who liked her. And she'd felt like she'd found someone to love.

She smiled bitterly. The higher you go, the harder you fall. And wow, was her fall _hard_.

Marinette was walking away, back to where she thought Lila was. Lila's gaze hardened as she watched the girl's figure get smaller.

But before she could do anything else, a familiar darkness invaded her thoughts. _No._

" _Volpina_. It seems as though someone has done you wrong once again." Hawkmoth's dark voice said. Lila's first thought was shock and terror. _Not again_! But then suddenly it felt like Lila's anger doubled, and then tripled, until it was the only emotion left inside of her. Her fists were clenching and unclenching and she felt her teeth grind against each other. "I can give you the power to have revenge." Hawkmoth continued. He sounded so persuasive, so reasonable.

"Yes, Hawkmoth." Lila's mouth moved, as a glowing purple light outlined her angry eyes. She felt like she was falling away while something else took her form. Her vision blurred as she fell farther. She didn't want to be Volpina again. And then she was enveloped in a bubbling black substance that erased her and left only Volpina in her place.

When Marinette made it back to where her friends were, she was confused to see only Alya and Nino.

"Where is everyone?" She asked as she approached. But just as she'd said that, Adrien came running over, looking fairly out of breath.

"Adrien!" Nino exclaimed. "You, okay?" He asked.

"Girl, where were you? During the akuma attack Chat Noir found us and we asked him to get you and Lila, but neither of you were there." Alya turned to Marinette. "I texted Lila but she hasn't replied."

"What? Lila and I split up to go around the buildings!" Marinette said, suddenly worried. What could have happened to Lila?

"Maybe she left?" Adrien suggested.

"Why would she have left?" Marinette asked incredulously.

"Uh, I mean, maybe she was upset about something and left?" He corrected his previous statement.

"But what would could have bothered her?" Marinette chewed on her lip as she thought. "I'll try calling her." _I shouldn't have left her_.

She took out her phone and called.

"Is that Volpina?" Alya asked as Marinette put her phone to her ear. She looked up to the sky and squinted at the orange spot among the clouds. But she didn't have to squint for much longer, because the spot was getting really big _really_ fast.

There wasn't enough time to do more than widen her eyes before something seized her wrist and her feet left the ground, her phone tumbling from her hand to the floor.

 _What?!_

Marinette watched as her friends yelled and reached for her, and then she looked up and felt her breath stop. Because it was definitely Volpina who held Marinette's wrist in a vice-like grip and was currently flying her off somewhere. At least, it was the akuma Volpina.

"Lila?" She said as the wind rushed past. Marinette was very confused. Volpina hadn't actually been able to fly before. Only her illusions had been capable of soaring through the sky. So why was this Volpina able to touch Marinette without bursting in a puff of smoke? Furthermore, she wasn't wearing the necklace that had contained the akuma beforehand, so what had Hawkmoth even infected?

"I'm not Lila." The akuma said without looking down at Marinette, venom in her voice. "I'm Volpina."

"What's wrong?" Marinette asked, worried for her friend. What could have made Lila like this again? Then Volpina turned her head slightly to shoot a look at Marinette, sending a jolt through her.

"You are."


	11. Purification

**this is a longer chapter have fun**

Marinette sensed that she was in a bit of a pickle. Just a small one. It's not like she was currently flying in the sky, prisoner to Volpina fresh after a transformation. Tikki was exhausted and tucked away in her purse, she had no source of food, and Volpina seemed to be stronger than before. Also, she was at risk of plummeting to her death at any time Volpina wished.

She didn't know why this was happened. Just before she'd had to become Ladybug and save the day, she'd felt like she shared special moment with Lila. Where both of their affections increased and Marinette realized that she harbored budding feelings of romance. What could have made Lila feel such negativity that she was akumatized yet again? She felt an ache in her heart.

"What do you mean?" Marinette needed clarification on that answer. What the heck did Marinette do?

"Gee. I wonder." The akuma scoffed as her flight slowed. Marinette recognized the Eiffel Tower not too far beneath them. It was always the Eiffel Tower.

As they descended a bit, Volpina literally tossed Marinette at the structure, and for a moment Marinette felt nothing underneath her, nothing supporting her, and her eyes widened as she briefly registered the sense of falling. _Oh no_.

Thankfully she was only falling for a couple of feet before landing on the tower, tumbling as she hit it and nearly rolling off the side. Then she blinked in realization; this was where she'd defeated Volpina the first time.

"Isn't it so ironic," Volpina began as her feet touched down on the metal on the opposite side, "that you deceived me? Me, who can create illusions and tell lies?" Her dark voice then laughed, and it made Marinette shiver. Not twenty minutes ago had Marinette heard that same voice pleading for forgiveness. And now it was all velvety and dark and downright evil. There was no affection to be found it. "Who would have thought that the sweet and lovely Marinette could be so cruel?"

Marinette was still as confused as she was when they'd first started talking.

"What do you mean?" She asked, getting to her feet. This was a bit difficult, considering the platform she was on was not a solid floor. It was a crisscrossing of metal beams, and the ground was more hole than it was metal.

"Don't play dumb." Volpina's voice became harsher as she said that, and then she raised her flute to her lips. As Marinette shuffled backwards in fear of whatever illusion would come forth from that instrument, she suddenly noticed a red band around Volpina's wrist. Then her hand went inside her skirt pocket, and realized the spare hair band she'd taken with her was gone.

The akuma could only be inside that. Marinette didn't have to contemplate the significance of the akuma having infected a belonging of hers and not of Lila's.

Volpina grinned maliciously and hurled the glowing orange ball at Marinette, and Marinette literally yelled as she turned away and put her hands up, as if to shield her from whatever would appear.

But when the dust cleared, she was surprised to see her wrists and ankles currently bound behind her by very solid and very real bands of orange rope.

"I thought you could only create illusions?!" She looked up at Volpina in disbelief.

"The greater your rage, the greater the power you harbor." The akuma simply replied as she ran a hand down her flute, smiling in satisfaction. Then she approached and Marinette felt fear creep down her back. She couldn't move or escape, whatever Volpina had planned. Then again, even if her hands and feet weren't tied, there would be nowhere to leave unless she decided she would rather leap off the tower.

She couldn't think of anyway out of this. And Ladybug always found a way of trouble. So this was very concerning.

"I know exactly what you are, Marinette. And I have some questions for you." Volpina said as she fixed her with a deadly stare. And then the fear in Marinette mounted to a ridiculous height. The only thing she could "know" about Marinette was her secret identity. And if Volpina said that out loud, Hawkmoth would know exactly what she was talking about. And then all of Marinette's friends and families would be at risk. No one would be safe.

But Volpina didn't say anymore on that matter.

"So what did you think when you saw me that day, Marinette?" Volpina asked, and then leaned forward and grabbed the hem of both her jacket and shirt, lifting her up into the air. Marinette's feet left the ground again, and her breaths became more shallow. She looked at the thin red fabric encircling the hand that held her suspended in the air. "Did you look at me and think about how much you wanted to be friends with me? How you thought I would be such a nice friend?" Then Lila walked forward and Marinette became aware that there was nothing beneath her but emptiness. "Because I don't think that's what happened." Volpina continued at Marinette's silence, and then she extended her arm so that Marinette was hanging even farther off of the edge. She couldn't struggle, she couldn't move.

Marinette was powerless.

Ladybug was powerless.

"Lila." She whispered as a very intense dread swept through her body. She didn't know what to do. Ladybug didn't know what to do. Then Volpina's face contorted in fury and she literally shook Marinette, forcing her legs to swing back and forth with the motion.

"Do _not_ call me that." Volpina hissed, and then she threw Marinette yet again back onto the surface. And Marinette breathed hard as her legs hit a beam at an angle, bruising them. She felt metal on her cheek and pain in her shins. But she wasn't going to fall. At least, not just yet. Volpina was looking away. "You don't get to call me that when you _never_ liked me. You tricked me!" Volpina's voice grew in volume as she continued.

"What?" Marinette lifted her head to look at Volpina, mind racing with whatever she could have meant by that.

"Humiliating me wasn't enough for you, I guess. After that, you had to pretend to like me, too." Volpina let out a loud laugh of amusement as her voice lowered, and then she faced Marinette again. "So why did you do it then?" She asked, in a tone that was quiet and deadly. She pointed her flute at Marinette accusingly.

And then Marinette was hearing Tikki's voice from a talk they'd had a long while back.

 _I think you need to make sure you aren't just befriending Lila out of pity._

"For your amusement?" Volpina supplied an answer, and then she crouched down next to Marinette. And then Marinette was putting pieces together in her hand.

Lila didn't think Marinette actually liked her. But why?

And then Marinette remembered that Volpina hinted heavily multiple times at knowing about Ladybug. That meant Lila did, too. Somehow she had figured it out.

Marinette hadn't realized how her words from that time had affected Lila so heavily. She remembered feeling a bit of regret immediately afterwards. But she'd had no idea that it had caused lasting anger. And now she felt a massive wave of guilt crest over her. She'd tried to befriend Lila despite also being the one who caused her pain. And it was true that she hadn't done it out of the goodwill of her heart in the beginning.

Marinette realized she'd hadn't made very good life decisions regarding Lila.

"Out of guilt?" Volpina continued as she put a hand underneath Marinette's chin and lifted it up off of the ground, forcing her to look at her eyes. "Do you like me, Marinette?" She asked.

"I do." Marinette whispered, truthfully. Because there was no way she could deny the attraction that she had felt to Lila earlier that day. She couldn't deny how her heart had fluttered when Lila had protected her. How she'd wanted to close the distance to Lila when she'd seen her above. How Volpina's fingers on her jaw felt almost like electricity.

"No!" Volpina yelled, face twisted in fury. And then all at once, the fury was gone, replaced with something else. She looked exhausted.

The akuma closed her eyes and put a hand to her head, as if in pain or disappointment.

"Even now, you continue to lie…" Volpina exhaled and withdrew her the hand under Marinette's face, and Marinette's heart broke as she heard the emptiness in her voice. And then she felt something well up in her own eyes as she tried to imagine the feelings that Lila had. If she discovered that the person she began to like was the same person who had embarrassed her to the point of akumatization. It wasn't something her simple apology from before could fix.

In the silence Marinette felt the pressure around her wrists vanish, and then she realized the difference in Volpina's power from before. She still created illusions. But the illusions had substance, for a limited time. It was similar to the Mime's power from before. And the Evillustrator, too. Where their creations existed for only a brief time. Perhaps Volpina's illusions continued to exist even after they lost their solidity. But since Marinette was touching them, they vanished in a puff of orange smoke. Volpina didn't notice.

"Why?" Volpina repeated, clearly unsatisfied with Marinette's lack of words.

"I'm not lying." Marinette said, thinking. Perhaps she didn't need to be Ladybug right now. Now she was understanding the problem. And now she could talk it out. Maybe. She wanted to save Lila, and she wanted to come clean.

"How cruel." Hawkmoth said, pity dripping in his voice. "Such a betrayal is never easy. And she continues to lie!"

Lila was struggling. No matter how terrible she'd felt after the realization, she'd never wanted to exact revenge. But part of Hawkmoth's awful power was making dreadful acts seem reasonable. She'd flinched on the inside when she'd thrown Marinette. She wanted to stop. The butterfly inside was stronger than her. She was weak. The only thing she'd managed to do against Hawkmoth was fail to mention exactly why she was upset with Marinette. She wasn't going to expose her. She had a bad feeling about the possibility of Hawkmoth harboring the knowledge about Ladybug's identity.

"But if you don't hurry up and get the Miraculouses of Ladybug and Chat Noir, I'll be forced to take away your power." Hawkmoth's sympathetic voice suddenly turned hard, and Volpina was assaulted with the terrible feeling of her hands being crushed. The flute in her hands trembled as pain lanced up her arms.

And then it was all gone. The threat was made, and Volpina could move again.

"You are." She said. Because there was the darkness inside that fed off of her insecurities. That no one _really_ liked her. She couldn't believe anyone did.

And then Marinette pulled herself up to a sitting position and looked directly at her, a determination in her eyes that sent as shock through her body.

Volpina had all the power in the world at her hands to get back at Marinette. But she didn't. She'd never wanted to.

Lila had only ever wanted to hear why. Why Marinette had done what she did. And no matter how wronged she felt, how much she deserved to have revenge…

She still liked Marinette. But she didn't believe Marinette liked her.

"You're lying." Volpina repeated. But her voice was unsure.

"You have the power you need." Hawkmoth's voice returned. "What are you doing? Finish her, and then find Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

Volpina flinched at the volume. "We do _not_ have the time for this." Hawkmoth said.

"Hold _on_!" Volpina spat in response. Marinette looked at her oddly, and Volpina realized that she could see the purple that lined her eyes. She knew that she was talking to Hawkmoth.

And then he faded away again, and she held her head. Everytime he spoke, he left behind a brief pounding headache. It was a reminder to follow his orders.

Volpina found that she didn't really want to listen to him. Especially not after being infected a second time.

As she looked at Marinette she realized she only wanted one person's reassurance, even if she had also caused an immense amount of pain. But she wasn't sure how much she wanted that.  
Why was everything so complicated when it came to Marinette?

"I was wrong." Marinette's voice suddenly said, and Volpina looked at her, waiting for what she had to say. Marinette's eyes were on her, looking directly at her. Volpina couldn't look away. Lila couldn't look away. "That very first day we met. It was wrong of me to do that to you. I was jealous of you."

Volpina's knees hit the ground as she hung on to every word. Marinette took in a breath, and continued.

"And it was wrong of me to seek your friendship after what I said. It wasn't right." And then Volpina looked harder, and she could see a slight shake in the girl's shoulders. "And… it's true that when I tried to be your friend, it wasn't because I liked you."

It was like the words physically hurt. Lila had figured that out already. She was only confirmed her suspicions. But it still twisted at her inside. Volpina leaned forward and her hands were on the ground, gripping the metal beneath them. She lowered her head and stared at her fists as she felt her vision blur again.

"But it's different now." Marinette confessed, and then all of a sudden Volpina felt a warmth on her shoulder. As she raised her head she could see it was a small hand. Marinette's hand. With the warmth she felt something strange inside of her.

It was hope. And it was fighting with the akuma.

The hand moved further back, and then it was running through Volpina's soft hair. She could feel a torrent of emotions running through her. And when she looked up again to see Marinette's face, she was shocked to see a redness in her cheeks. The girl had glanced to the side, seemingly too embarrassed to maintain eye contact. It sent a shock through her.

"I gave you this power to have your revenge, Volpina." Hawkmoth's dangerous voice echoed. "So _have it_."

Volpina shook her head, wanting to listen to Marinette instead. The sincerity in her tone was like extending a hand down into her, to reach for Lila and to pull her up out of the darkness Hawkmoth had trapped her within.

"Did you know that when I when saw you on the steps of our school, I thought about how pretty you were?" Marinette asked, and then she blushed harder. Volpina blinked. She certainly hadn't been expecting that. "And when I fell down my stairs, did you know that I was happy that you were the one next to me?"

There was a conflict inside of Volpina.

It seemed as if Lila was rising forward, pulling the butterfly within her down. She wanted to be free again. She wanted to hear Marinette herself. She wanted to hear Marinette without the malice of the purple outline that framed her face. She wanted to believe her.

She was finding that she did. That even if Marinette had first approached her for some other reason, the brief time they had shared had allowed for the growth of something else. An affection that touched both of them.

"Did you know that I was really excited about going out with you today?" Marinette continued.

"What are you doing?" Hawkmoth's voice took on an edge of panic and frustration. " _She lied!_ Take care of her, and then bring me the Miraculouses!"

"Did you know that when you saved me today, I-I wanted to kiss you?!" Marinette had to force the last part out, and then she was so red that Volpina's heart thudded. She almost couldn't believe what she'd heard. Lila felt herself rising higher. The darkness was falling.

Volpina scooted closer, looking at Marinette with a curious expression. Her illusion ropes had vanished long ago, and yet Marinette had done nothing but reach out to comfort her. Even though she was Volpina. An akuma. But despite the dark butterfly rooted in her mind, she felt like Lila. Like she was breaking out of the cocoon that Hawkmoth had forced her into.

Volpina… no, Lila, reached out her own hand. The dark glove of her akumatized arm was curling around Marinette's face. And then Marinette's hand came to rest on top of hers, pressing it to her face. Her blue eyes were closing, and Lila was approaching. Her other hand came up to touch the other side of Marinette's head, framing the girl's face entirely with her own fingers.

"You're disappointing me, Volpina." Hawkmoth said. His words were meaningless.

When Lila felt Marinette's lips against hers, she felt her own eyes fall closed and a relief crest through her body, washing away her anger and her doubt. A relief that calmed her nerves and relaxed her mind.

With that, the only emotion that had allowed Hawkmoth to infect Lila in the first place was gone.

"If you don't get up _right now_ and find Ladybug and Chat Noir, I'm taking away your powers." He growled, and Lila's eyes flew open. It was a repetition that he had uttered multiple times. A repetition that she didn't care for. Lila broke away from her kiss and narrowed her eyes.

"So _take them_." She bent her head and hissed. Lila had never wanted them, anyway. She heard a grunt of disgust from Hawkmoth, and then all of a sudden she felt the darkness inside of her thrash.

"This was a waste of time." His voice was saying, and then she could feel the negativity inside begin to dissipate.

"Come back, Lila." Marinette whispered, her breath lightly gusting over Lila's face. A black wing was rising out of Lila's wrist, out of the red hair tie stretched over her hand. And when Lila looked back up at the girl in front of her, with her hands resting along the sides of her face, a dark butterfly burst out, and there was nothing but a pleasant joy residing inside of her.

Lila looked at the dark purple and black thing, hovering there before beginning to slowly move away. She wondered if akuma had ever been removed by Hawkmoth himself like that before. She'd only ever heard of Ladybug's purification.

Ladybug...

And then Marinette was standing up. Because the link to Hawkmoth was broken now, and he wouldn't know about what was about to occur.

"And I'm sorry for lying about this, too." She was saying, and Lila looked up at the girl, who gazed at her.

"You're lucky you left a cookie in here." A smaller voice said, and then she watched as a small red thing flew out of Marinette's purse.

Ok, what.

"Haha, yeah." Marinette giggled and then looked at the butterfly. And then she called out, "Tikki, transform-me!"

And that was how Lila witnessed her very first magical girl transformation. In a couple of seconds, a swirl of red and pink similar to the repairing magic she'd seen earlier that day wrapped around Marinette and took away the black blazer and outfit, leaving behind a spotted costume and mask.

"You've done enough harm, little akuma." Ladybug said, and then opened her yoyo. She let it dangle for a moment before spinning the cord. Lila had already seen this happen before. Ladybug then threw the red disk out into the air towards the akuma, catching it inside. She grinned and yanked the cord back, where she tapped on the yoyo cover and a white butterfly exited. It would have been prettier if Lila didn't associate it with the darkness that had twisted her inside.

It still hurt to see Ladybug. Even with all she knew… it still hurt.

"You've already figured it out, Lila." The heroine said. "And it's true. I am Ladybug. AndI am so, so sorry for ever hurting you."

Then a series of sparkles washed over the girl, and it was just Marinette standing there again. She extended a hand down to Lila, who despite the difficulty in reconciling her thoughts, took it and allowed Marinette to pull her to her feet.

Lila had many things to say too. But before she could say anything, the small red creature from before dove rapidly back into the purse, and a black blur suddenly landed next to Marinette, who had a look of panic on her face. It was Chat Noir, who looked between the two girls.

"You're back to normal!" He exclaimed in surprise, looking at Lila.

"Yes, Ladybug was just here! She just left, thought." Lila supplied for Marinette. "I'm sorry about earlier, Chat Noir. I was in a bad mood."

"Always have to have the fun to herself. Ah well. And it's no problem; I assume your lovers' quarrel is resolved, ladies?" He then asked. Lila paused, looked down at her hand, which was still in Marinette's, and then she blushed a bit. When she looked to Marinette, she could tell she was blushing even more.

"It is." Lila said. "Um, mind giving us a ride down from here?" She asked, giving Marinette's hand a squeeze, who was still redder in her face than her superheroine suit ever was.

"Of course! Hang on to the staff." Chat Noir said as he set the silver stick on the metal beam. Lila and Marinette gave each other embarrassed looks, and then they grabbed on.

Chat Noir always did his best to impress the ladies, as they soon found out after an unnecessarily long and daring staff ride back to the movie theater.


	12. Movie

By the time Lila and Marinette made it back to their friends, it was way past the movie time. Also Adrien was suspiciously missing.

"Mari and Lila are back!" Nino pointed up at them as they descended. "And its Chat Noir!"

"Marinette!" Alya called out as she extended her arms. "Are you okay?"

Marinette wasn't sure what to feel as she smiled at Alya. She'd just gone against a solid several months of being extremely in love with Adrien Agreste, and then she'd just given her first kiss (at least, where the other person was aware of it), and she'd also nearly been chucked off of the Eiffel Tower. Also, her identity was revealed.

"I'm fine." She said in response, accepting the hug. When Alya was satisfied with the embrace, she stepped back.

"Sup, Chat Noir! What happened to Lila?" She asked, looking past Marinette at the girl behind her. "You okay, too? Being an akuma is rough." Marinette turned around to face Lila, too. But every time she looked at her she felt heat flooding her face.

"I think she's alright." Chat Noir chimed in. "Ladybug got to her pretty fast. I didn't even have time to help out."

Marinette smiled to herself, and then at Lila, who returned it. Because they both knew exactly how fast Ladybug had been to get there.

"Well, I'll see you later. Places to be, people to rescue, all that jazz." Chat Noir winked. "Ciao!" And then he extended his staff to the top of a building and was gone. Not five minutes later, Adrien Agreste came jogging over.

"I'm back!" He said, waving an arm.

"Dude, you just missed out on Chat Noir!" Nino said as he approached.

"Hey, the toilet calls when the toilet calls." Adrien replied, shrugging his shoulders and laughing. And then he gave Marinette and Lila a strange sort of look. Then he winked.

Marinette didn't know what that was about.

"So what happened to make you go Volpina?" Alya asked. "Or you don't need to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I'd rather not." Lila said, and Marinette silently agreed. She wasn't sure what the two of them even had together, and she wasn't quite sure how Alya would react.

"That's fine. One heck of a way to start off the best months of your life, though. At least you got to see your best pal Ladybug again." Marinette laughed quietly to herself as Alya spoke. "We need to focus on the real problem. The movie already began."

Ah yes, they had gone to see a movie.

"Well, you know how they are with commercials. We can probably make it in time." Nino glanced at his phone.

"True. Oh yea, do you have my phone?" Marinette remembered what she had lost the very beginning.

"Right here, girl." Alya smiled and pulled out her desired object. A couple of scratches on the case, but not too worse for wear.

"Thanks." Marinette said as she pocketed it.

The group of friends continued on their way to the theater. Even if it was too late, they could always see a different movie.

But to Marinette the most pressing matter was that she liked someone new, who appeared to like her back, and was currently walking alongside said person. What were they now? Were they dating? Were they just gal pals? Now that she'd gone and kissed Lila, she felt hyperaware of her presence. Like even though there were at least three other people around her, all she could think of was Lila.

Of Lila's warm hands cupping her face. How Lila had looked at Marinette like she was an angel. How it felt to have Lila's lips against hers.

Marinette became dreadfully aware of heat rushing to her face. If she thought about what had happened anymore, she might just faint. The only reason she'd been able to hold together when it had happened was because she'd been in her Ladybug mode, even if she hadn't been wearing the suit during the kiss. All she'd been thinking of was saving Lila. Now that it had all happened, she was mildly freaking out. Furthermore, even though she'd thought Lila was pretty great, she hadn't realized she'd liked her enough to kiss her. She still didn't know how much she liked Lila, and that was screwing up her thoughts, too.

And she _transformed right in front of Lila_. Even though she knew that Lila had already learned the truth somehow, it was still jarring to be so blatant about her identity in front of another person.

What was going on in Marinette's life?

"Marinette, you okay?" Alya's voice suddenly cut through her thoughts, and she looked up to see everyone glancing at her. Whoops.

"Yea, I'm fine." She said. "Just still coming down from the attack."

"You're going to have to tell me about that for the blog, you know." Alya laughed and then winked. "And you, too, Lila."

"Later." Lila said, waving it off. It seemed like Marinette was the only one feeling anxious about the whole ordeal. Lila already appeared to be back to her suave self. Despite her earlier claims of being unable to keep it cool around Marinette, it seemed as if she had been able to calm down. While Marinette should be happy that Lila was doing fine again, she may or may not have felt a bit disappointed that she was no longer affecting Lila the way she had been earlier. Perhaps Lila didn't like Marinette just as much as she'd thought.

 _But she kissed me..._

"I'll see if there are seats available." Nino asked as they entered the theater, and he walked up to one of the machines near the entrance. Suddenly Marinette wondered what it would be like if she sat next to Lila for the movie. And then she got even redder.

"I'm fine with sitting anywhere. I'll grab some popcorn and drinks now." Alya volunteered, and then went off after everyone gave her enough money for whatever sustenance they desired.

"Um, looks like there's just enough seats left, but they're separated." Nino said, looking up from the screen. Marinette peered over to see. There were only seats open in the back of the theater, with three in the corner and then two open directly in front of it. There were a couple of other seats scattered around, but they were all singles.

Sitting in the back with Lila…

"Nino and I can take the two seats." Adrien said as he evaluated the options. "You girls and Alya can sit behind us? Unless you don't want to sit in the back."

The boy was so considerate.

"I don't mind the back." Lila said.

"Fine by me." Marinette agreed, her mind racing with the possibilities. Hand holding… leaning together…

 _Stop, you fool. You don't even know how much you like her._ Marinette thought sternly. _You don't even know if you're a thing yet_.

Honestly though, what were they? They kissed, and now what? And Lila knew about Marinette's identity, too, which was more than anyone else on the world could say. She felt like that connection bonded them tightly.

But even though Lila had been distraught when she'd thought Marinette hated her, even though Lila had literally been akumatized over thinking Marinette didn't like her, even though she confessed that she acted strangely around Marinette, she didn't seem to care as much right now. So how much did Lila even like Marinette? Now she was doubting the warmth she'd felt on her lips and the hands she had held.

"Let's go!" Alya called from afar, arms full of drinks and popcorns and assorted other foodstuffs.

 _Hoo boy_.

When they entered the room, the movie had already started, but they had only missed around ten minutes. The group made their way to the back. Alya curiously decided to eject Adrien from his previously chosen seat, so for some godforsaken reason Marinette sat between her former crush and her current crush all the way in the back.

In the dark.

Marinette began to sweat, thinking that she needed to tell Alya about the new development with her feelings so that she was no longer being set up with Adrien. Little did Marinette know, Alya was merely attempting to confirm that Marinette's affections had changed targets. She probably knew more than Marinette just exactly what she was feeling.

The group fell silent as they began to watch the movie. Since Marinette was in the middle, she was the popcorn lord and held a ridiculously large cardboard bucket of popcorn on her lap, and had not one, but _two_ ridiculously attractive people reaching over her to grab a snack.

Marinette was dying.

She was more focused on the fact that she was sitting next to Lila (in the dark) and she kept shooting her confused glances. She was trying to be discreet but she wasn't very good at that when she wasn't Ladybug. Marinette wasn't sure if she wanted Lila's hand to come and touch hers. But she kept thinking about it. Lila didn't seem to be paying her much attention and it was very disappointing. What had happened?

Clearly, if she wanted something to happen, she needed to initiate it. But she didn't know if she wanted it (she did) and she didn't know if Lila wanted it.

 _I can do it_. She thought to herself, and with care she very slowly raised her arm and laid it on the arm rest. There. It was out. If Lila wanted to go further and put _her_ hand down on it too, it was up to her. Maybe this could help reveal Lila's true intentions. Then Marinette had a better idea, and she turned her hand so that her palm was face up. Because then, if Lila wanted to, she could thread her fingers through Marinette's.

A solid minute passed and Marinette was staring at the screen very hard, anticipating _something_ on her hand. As time dragged by and Marinette kept thinking, she realized that if she was expecting it so much, she might like Lila more than she thought.

 _She likes you_. A voice in her head said. _She saved you. She kissed you. She likes you_.

It seemed like the answer would be clear.

 _So what the heck is she doing now?_ Marinette was about to give it up and just hold off on thinking about love until later when all of a sudden a warm something touched her fingers, and then her heart literally leaped out of her chest.

 _I think I actually like her a lot_ _._

Marinette moved her eyes to look at Lila, who was suddenly looking at her with a strong gaze, and then down to their hands, where Lila had placed her right hand (which she had thankfully cleaned of any popcorn butter) directly on top of hers. And then, holding Marinette's gaze, she curled her fingers down so that their hands were entwined.

Marinette didn't know how she managed to keep a hold on her immediate feelings. How she managed to stop herself from doing anything more than let her mouth fall slightly open in surprise. She was fairly certain several bombs had just gone off inside of her heart. Marinette definitely felt a pounding in her chest, and for a moment the movie and her friends and everyone else was just a background to this moment. Lila was looking at her so intensely and her hand was so warm. Marinette was briefly worried that her hand was going to sweat but she pushed herself and curled her own fingers around Lila's.

She hadn't realized just how much she wanted to be close with Lila.

Just then Adrien's hand came sailing out of the heavens and into the popcorn bucket on her lap and her gaze was broken as she glanced over at him. He wasn't looking at her; he had absently just reached over.

He hadn't noticed anything. Marinette slightly felt like she was betraying him, because she had liked him for so long. But the feeling then vanished because Lila suddenly squeezed her hand. Whatever lingering feelings she might have had for Adrien were nothing compared to the affection she felt now to Lila. Marinette exhaled as she squeezed back, and then all of a sudden Adrien looked over at her, then down at Lila, then at her hand. Marinette froze, and in consequence she suddenly squeezed Lila's hand harder. _She'd been caught_.

But then Adrien smiled and winked. Then he leaned over and Marinette had a ridiculous thought that he was going to try and kiss her (it was the end result of a months-long crush on him, she supposed) and she slightly leaned away, hand still tangled with Lila's. However, he didn't lean very far before he began to whisper.

"You two became friends really fast." He said quietly.

Um. There was a silence as Marinette digested those words.

Honestly, sometimes she wondered how oblivious he was to anything romantic. Had Adrien even had any experience in romance?

"Actually." Lila said from behind her, and then before Marinette could do anything, she leaned over and planted a small kiss on her cheek, shocking her into silence. "We're more like girlfriends."


	13. Hand-Holding

So… Lila _did_ think they were dating.

And then Marinette gasped as she blushed harder. She was at a loss for words. Adrien's eyes widened in slight shock, and then he put a hand to his head as he muttered something to himself. Had Marinette listened closely, she would have known that it sounded something like 'What the heck self. I was only joking about them being lovers earlier but I guess that's true. Nice one.' Then she would have realized that the boy sitting directly next to her was head over heels in love with her superheroine self. But since it's way too early in the fic, she did not listen closely (she was also preoccupied with the fact that a beautiful girl had just kissed her cheek).

Now Adrien thought the two of them were dating, and even though Marinette didn't technically mind that idea, she didn't know if they were. If Lila thought so, she supposed she was, too.

After Lila had kissed Marinette earlier that day and saw her true identity, she'd felt the conflict inside of her diminish. But it had still been there.

However, even if Marinette was Ladybug, there was no denying that she still wanted Marinette. She liked her so much. She wanted to keep seeing her smile. She wanted to go out with her. She wanted to hold her hand.

Lila realized that somewhere along the way she had crossed over from liking Marinette despite her possibly being Ladybug to liking Marinette even if she was Ladybug. Especially since it seemed that Marinette reciprocated those feelings. She'd helped save Lila from akumatization, she'd accepted Lila's kiss, she'd shown enough trust in Lila to transform right in front of her (and reveal whatever the heck that tiny red creature was, seriously what the heck).

Now that Lila knew that Marinette liked her as well, she wanted to flirt more with her. She'd flirted several times before, but never had she done it while her own heart thudded in her chest. Never had she done it while wanting a response this bad. She wanted to make Marinette smile and blush and she wanted to kiss her again. She would just have to put all of the Ladybug stuff aside for now. Even the strange red creature that was no doubt in the purse directly to the right of her.

So the game plan was to make Marinette fall further in love with her. Lila knew she had made many others do so. And she wanted to be cool and attractive to Marinette. So when the two of them had returned to their group of friends, she had clamped down on her urge to start skipping through a meadow while picking flowers and simultaneously crying in joy, and she had pulled on her normal mask. Her confident and strong mask that she wore often that carried her through emotional times and made her attractive to all. She hadn't wanted to see too desperate, so she refrained from doing much more until they entered the theater, even if she wanted to.

But then Adrien had noticed their hand holding. She'd felt kind of possessive for a moment, because Lila had previously thought that Marinette was in love with Adrien.

Then he'd called them friends, which annoyed her because she knew that wasn't true. She still wasn't sure what she had with Marinette but she knew she wanted it to go further. She wanted to be girlfriends.

And thus it was time for flirty and cool Lila to make a reappearance. She had leaned forward and brushed her lips against Marinette's face, resulting in a much-desired reaction of blushing. And then she'd claimed that they were girlfriends. Which she hoped very hard they were. But then Marinette had fallen silent. Suddenly Lila was very worried that maybe she had gone too far yet again, but there was no going back. She was past the point of no return. The final threshold…

"Yea." Marinette finally said, breaking out into a small smile. "We're dating."

Marinette's agreement with Lila's statement sent her heart soaring. Then they definitely were a thing. Right? Right.

"Well."Adrien said, only vaguely surprised, "you two look good together."

"If you ask me, I think Marinette is the one here who looks good." Lila then replied, and squeezed Marinette's hand again. She hoped she was doing a good job of wooing Marinette. That was all she wanted to do, and she was worried she wasn't doing it well.

"She does! You're really lucky to have her." Adrien agreed. But he didn't seem to be trying to flirt with her or jealous, so she was content. "You know, she's a really great fashion designer, too." He added.

"Oh, I'm not that good." Marinette said sheepishly. "But thank you."

Ooh. That was something Lila didn't know. Then all of a sudden Alya turned around and put a finger to her lips. Whoops. She, Marinette and Adrien nodded back. Lila saw as Alya cast a glance at their hands, and then she winked at Marinette. Then she looked at Lila and for a moment Lila thought she saw a murderous look in her eyes. But it was gone when she looked closer.

Perhaps Alya was one of those protective friend characters.

But after everyone settled down again, Lila remembered that she still held Marinette's hand. To be honest, it was beginning to feel kind of sweaty but that barely mattered. She wanted to keep holding Marinette's hand forever. She felt more at peace, knowing that Marinette seemed okay with it. Marinette wasn't rejecting it, so theoretically she liked it, too. And she'd agreed that they were dating. But even this was getting a bit too much for Lila. She had indeed wanted to be assertive but even the small peck she'd given earlier was sending her over the edge. Anything more would be too much, and Lila would probably faint on the spot.

Lila realized that this definitely was a good way to start the best months of her life. They watched the whole movie like that, hand in hand (albeit sweaty) and both too embarrassed to say anything more.

When Marinette finally returned home around the afternoon, she was feeling pretty giddy. She practically skipped into the bakery and took the stairs two at a time as she went to her room. Her parents weren't home, as evidenced by the emptiness in her house and the closed sign on the door, and she grabbed a couple (or six) pastries on her way up.

"Looks like someone's in love." Tikki said as they reached Ladybug's sanctuary. "Lila seems to really like you."

"Yea." Marinette breathed with a dazed smile on her face.

"She held your hand under the table during lunch, didn't she?" Tikki said knowingly. Marinette's smile grew wider.

"Yea." She put her hand to her cheek, feeling a happiness course through her. Earlier she hadn't really known how much she liked Lila. But just being able to hold her hand and talk with her was making her suspiciously happy.

"And you can actually talk to her." Tikki added with a grin, clearly alluding to her inability to communicate to Adrien before.

"Sometimes." Marinette confessed, blushing again. Part of the time she had almost been so overcome with the realization she was holding hands with Lila that she could barely speak. But she did her best.

The moment they parted, she'd wanted to start texting her. But then she thought that might be considered too desperate, so she held off on that. On the contrary, Alya was content to text her and tease her relentlessly all throughout the whole affair. Eating food was hard when one hand was occupied with Lila's and the other with her phone.

"And she knows your identity." Tikki continued, and then Marinette nearly started choking in the midst of her reverie.

"Yea…" She said uneasily. "How did she find out?"

"You should ask her." Tikki suggested as Marinette fell onto her bed. "I don't think it was your fault anyway. Do you think you can trust her with that information?"

Marinette paused, thinking. Sure, her past with Lila was short and marred with deception and lies, but the more recent events seemed to balance it out. "I think so, Tikki. I hope so." Suddenly she felt slightly uneasy about it. No one else was supposed to know, after all.

But Lila had also held the information from Hawkmoth when she was Volpina. Marinette had never been infected so she wouldn't know what it was like, but she knew that it must have been difficult to manage to hide something like that. And Lila hadn't told anyone else yet, either.

Suddenly she was hit with a decision. Should she text Lila, or wait for Lila to text first?

"Tikki, what do I do?" She asked, face falling as she considered the options. "Do I text first or do I wait?"

"If you want to make this relationship work you need to take the initiative." Tikki told her, smiling sympathetically.

"What do I say?" Marinette began to panic a little bit. Now that she was aware of her feelings, it had gotten a lot harder to interact with Lila if she had to be the one to start it. She wanted to talk more with her but she kept feeling embarrassed.

"Just be yourself." Tikki said, trying not to laugh. "You can do it, Marinette!"

Marinette held out her phone and made a face at it. She had no idea what to say.

"Also, if you're going to ask her about how she knew, you probably should do it in person. Someone might see her phone." Tikki added after thinking.

That was true, but it didn't seem as if Marinette was even going to be sending a text in the first place.

Just then, her phone buzzed and she nearly dropped it in surprise before seeing that Alya was the one who sent it.

Alya: so when did you and lila get so cozy? ;)

Alya: what happened to adrien lol ?

Alya was definitely someone Marinette _could_ talk to right now.

Mari: omg i dont even kno how this happened

Then Marinette realized she literally didn't know how to explain this.

Alya: lemme guess, when she was at ur house during the whole screamer thing?

You know what, that wasn't too bad of a guess. She guessed it could have started there. That was when Lila had touched her face the first time.

A good time.

Mari: yeaa after i talked 2 her after school

Mari: she said she really wanted 2 be my friend. i think thats when i started 2 like her

Mari: u kno earlier 2day when she was Volpina

Alya: omg yea

Mari: she turned into an akuma bc she thought i didnt like her

She was smiling as she typed. While she knew it wasn't a good thing that Lila had even become Volpina for a second time, the events that happened near the end of it were nice. And the fact that Marinette had mattered so much to Lila.

Alya: bRUH

Mari: YEAA

Alya: bbrrruh brRUH thats hardcore!

Now she had to break the bigger news.

Mari: she kissed me when she was volpina alya

Mari: SHE KSISED MEE

Alya: WHAT

Mari: THE POWER OF LOVE SAVED THE DAY

Alya: didnt ladybug show up?

Mari: yea but the akuma came out before !

Alya: wtf ?

Mari: ikr. somehow it happened. ladybug came after and she was like wtf too. she still needed 2 purify it tho

Alya: wwwwwwwtttttffffff

Mari: mm

Alya: ok well all of that aside r u guys like dating now

Alya: ;) ;) ;) ;))))

Mari: idk i think so

Alya: just think? mari she held ur dang hand for like 8 years

Mari: uhh but like she never confessed or anything it kinda ambiguous

Alya: ok but did u not just tell me that u kissed

Alya: mari i stg. talk 2 her

Mari: wat do i say D:

Alya: MARI u just gotta text her

Mari: :'(


	14. Confession

Unbeknownst to Marinette, Lila was having a similiar problem. Only she was significantly more worried over it, and was currently rolling back and forth on her bed and freaking out. She was fresh out of a fast shower and in a change of casual clothes. Now that she was out of Marinette's vicinity, she was safe to react as much as she needed to, which was a lot.

 _I held her hand I held her hand I held her hand I held her hand!_

 _I kissed her I kissed her I kissed her I kissed her!_

 _We're dating we're dating we're dating we're dating we're dating!_

Lila pressed her hands to her face as she felt the corners of her mouth turn up. After the whole Volpina thing, Marinette being Ladybug was a lot more bearable and all she felt was elation and happiness. It was a small thing next to the words, "We're dating," coming from Marinette's mouth. A mouth she had kissed. Lila felt her cheeks go red yet again and she laughed to herself. If Marinette had said they were dating then Lila was ready to believe it. She may or may not have just been saying things impulsively when she'd said that they were girlfriends but she really wanted it to be true. After she had said it, she'd had a brief moment of terror that Marinette was going to look at her strangely and tell her off or something, but no, all she had done was agree.

Lila began to worry that she might have pressured Marinette into it by saying it like that. Then she thought she needed to text to Marinette to confirm that they were dating. Because really, all that happened was that they kissed and held hands, but not once had either of them confessed to each other. Sure, Marinette had said "yes," to Volpina's question earlier, but it was not asked in a romantic way.

What if that had just been a one-time thing? Lila put her head into her pillow and then gently screamed into it. She was happy, yes, but she was unsure about their current status. The only way she could confirm it is if she contacted Marinette somehow. She needed to confirm it before she could change her relationship status on Facebook.

Lila rolled over so she was face up and she stared up at her phone uncertainly. She should text her, but she didn't know exactly what to say. Just then, the phone vibrated and Lila made an aghast expression as she dropped it directly onto her face. Ouch.

Lila grunted and rubbed at the faint ache in her nose as she sat up and picked up the phone.

 _Marinette texted her_.

Lila's eyes widened as she stared down at the screen, contemplating whether or not she was about to die. What if Marinette was going to dismiss everything that happened? What if she was going to break up with her?

Hold on. _I don't even know if we're together yet._

Lila shook her head slightly as she brought the phone closer to her face.

 _No fear_.

Lila swiped her finger across and inputted her password, feeling the world slow down as she prepared herself for whatever message Marinette had sent. As she put in the last number she squeezed her eyes shut and looked away, as if that would shield her from any bad news Marinette had typed.

 _Calm down_ , Lila thought. _You can do it. It's just a text._

With a final burst of courage Lila turned back to her phone and read the screen.

 _Mari: hi_

Lila was assaulted with relief, disappointment and disbelief. Marinette had not come to shun her, but Lila had worked herself up into a fret over a simple two-letter word.

 _Be cool._ She typed and erased approximately three different greetings, and then settled on the most casual-sounding one. Marinette probably saw the little typing bubble appear multiple times, and she didn't want to take _too_ long.

 _Lila: hey_

Lila tossed the phone several feet away as if it were a bomb, and brought her knees to her chest as she watched the screen from afar. Several seconds passed and then the typing bubble appeared. Lila bit her lip as she watched it. She wished she had a friend who could help coach her through this whole talking-to-the-person-you-like-thing, but the only friend who could actually do that was also the person she liked. She could try texting Alya, but she felt like she didn't know her well enough. Then again, Alya had the one to decide on making her time in France the best months of her life, which had really touched her.

The phone buzzed again and Lila literally hurled herself at it.

 _Mari: so_

Lila was on the verge of going to the bathroom and flushing her phone down the toilet.

 _Lila: yes_

She knew she needed to bring it up and ask. But she was too scared to touch the topic.

 _Lila: how is it going_

Lila pressed send and then she mentally slapped herself. She had literally just gone out with Marinette and now she was asking how it was going? Lila needed someone to take this phone away from her.

 _Mari: better now that im talking to u_

Lila almost shrieked in embarrassment as she read that, and then took a moment to compose herself. It didn't sound like something Marinette would say but it still made her happy to see it.

 _Two can play that game!_ Lila was a master at being charismatic, as long as she wasn't in the vicinity of Marinette. Since this talk was over text, it was a lot easier to calm down and sound smooth. But she blanked; she didn't know exactly what to say in response. Lila stared at the words for a solid several minutes, head spinning with joy and embarrassment.

 _Lila: if only i could talk to you forever then_

Lila could feel her face turning red as typed. Her cheeks were hot and she could barely believe the words she spelled with her fingers.

After Marinette and Alya had their text conversation, Alya deemed it necessary to go out yet again and personally carry Marinette through her chat with Lila. So she arrived out the bakery like the goddess she is, and began to coach Marinette. However, by "coach," she actually meant "steal the phone and text something flirty to get the ball rolling." So as Marinette sat on her bed and looked at her hands and talked about what she should say after Lila's greeting, Alya had literally taken the phone and then replied for her.

"How could you do such a thing?" Marinette asked, betrayed as she stared at her phone screen.

 _Mari: better now that im talking to u_

"Well, it's not like you were going to say anything anyway." Alya chuckled and winked. Marinette shot her a look, and Alya's hands went up. "Okay, I'm sorry. I won't do it again." She apologized, "but wait and see what Lila says next."

Marinette looked back the screen, horrified. Nothing happened for a solid minute, and she gave a withering look to Alya.

"She's not saying anything." She said, and then promptly put the phone down and put her head in her hands.

Just then it buzzed.

"What does it say?" Marinette asked to Alya. "I'm too embarrassed to look."

"I got you." Alya picked up the phone, and then she whistled. "She says, and I quote, 'If only I could talk to you forever, then.'"

Marinette turned to look at Alya, jaw dropped as she felt blood rush to her face. Alya handed her the phone.

"What could I possibly say back?" Marinette said, backing away from the phone. Alya rolled her eyes and placed it in her hand.

"Well, I've already done my part. Don't you think this is confirmation that she likes you a lot?" Alya inquired, sitting down next to Marinette to pat her on the shoulder.

"Maybe?" Marinette answered as she posed her fingers over the keyboard, mind racing with possibilities.

"Ask her if you're dating." Alya urged. "That's why you're texting in the first place."

"I told Adrien we were dating in front of her, though." Marinette bent her head forward as she recalled. "She said we were girlfriends."

Alya nearly threw her hands in the air, but she refrained.

"Isn't that the answer, then?" She asked.

"But we never confessed or anything." Marinette said mulishly.

"Then you need to ask her." Alya sighed. "You can do it, Marinette. I believe in you." She patted her shoulder again in an act of support.

"Ok, ok. I can do it." Marinette repeated. Just then, Alya's phone vibrated, and she paused to take it out. Marinette glanced over in curiosity, but Alya moved it away before she could see the screen. Alya shook her finger at Marinette, smiling.

"I'm here to help you with your texts, not the other way around." She said, and then moved away to reply. Marinette stuck out her tongue, and then turned back to her own battle. Just ask it. Be straightforward.

 _Mari: do u think we are dating?_

 _Lila: r we dating?_

Marinette's mouth opened in shock again, the two had just texted each other at the same time. The same question.

 _Lila: oh._

And then for a moment it seemed unclear what Lila meant to convey in that message.

 _Lila: srry_

Marinette moved to reply asap, suddenly realizing what Lila thought. Just then Alya shot her a look, but she barely noticed.

 _Mari: i hope so c:_

Then she waited, blushing at her forward attitude.

"So?" Alya asked.

"She doesn't know, either." Marinette answered. "But I want us to be dating." She said.

"Then tell her that." Alya said. "It won't happen unless one of you makes it clear to the other."

 _Lila: really?_

Marinette looked at Alya and then back at her phone.

"Ok." She said, determined as her heart raced.

 _Mari: yes_

 _Lila: i_

 _Lila: i guess we are, then_

"We're dating!" Marinette exclaimed, suddenly feeling her emotions hit a high point.

"Awesome! Did you confess, though?" Alya was still texting away, too. Marinette wondered who she was talking to.

"No." Marinette said honestly. "But I think I will."

"Good."

With all the courage she could muster, Marinette moved to type again. Just to make it clear.

 _Mari: i like u a lot lila_

"Ok, I did it." Marinette said, feeling a weight come off of her shoulders. She felt happy. Several seconds passed again. Alya just sent a text out. Then...

 _Lila: i like u more_

And then Marinette was blushing again.

"I think I've completed my job here." Alya said, laughing.

"You are literally the best." Marinette smiled.

 _Mari: ill fight u over that_

"Shall I leave you to your girlfriend?" Alya asked teasingly.

"But you came all the way here! Hang out for a bit." Marinette said. "Besides, I've third-wheeled off of you and Nino for too long now. This is nothing compared to that."

Then it was Alya's turn to blush slightly and she smacked Marinette on the arm lightly.

"Fine." She said, crossing her arms as she sat back down.

 _Lila: meet me in the pit (_ _ง •_ _̀_•́)_ _ง_

Alya looked over at the screen and laughed lightly.

"You two are adorable." She commented as she closed her texting app. Had Marinette taken the time to look over at the screen, she would have seen Lila's name at the top of the screen and realized that Alya had guided not only her but Lila as well.


	15. Grandmother

**this is definitely not lilanette heavy. this is me beginning to develop lila and her background and other stuff. its a new character. wew. by the way i have planned out the rest of the chapters up until chapter 30** **  
** **so thats nice**

It wasn't often that Lila got to see any of her relatives. She didn't even know how many cousins she had.

But here she was, Sunday morning, in the backseat of her parents' car as they made their way to a relative she had seen only a couple of times in her life (and that was as a child). Lila's grandmother Silvia had recently moved from Italy to France (only a couple of weeks before Lila had arrived) and would be staying here for the rest of her life, unlike Lila and her family. Lila wasn't sure what to expect; her memories of this person were blurry and vague. The only other memories she had were of holiday and birthday cards with some money sent to her, signed _Silvia_ in a dark ink. She was supposed to help unpack some boxes and stuff (although half of her own belongings were still packed away in cardboard at her own house).

"How's work?" Lila asked, remembering to be polite. She always walked on glass around her parents, trying to be respectful. It never really resulted in much, though.

"It's good. Tiring, but it's going pretty well." Lila's mom said from the driver's seat as they approached a red light. Then she looked in the rearview mirror, making eye contact with Lila. "Are you sure you're okay travelling around with us?" She asked. This was actually a question that came around often. But Lila always replied in the same way.

"I'm the one that asked to come along." Lila answered. Because that was true. What kind of daughter would she be if she backed out now? Besides, she didn't really want to go back to Italy.

"That's right. And If Lila wants to stop travelling, she'll tell us." Her father cut in, as he always did. Lila's mother made a weird expression in the mirror.

"I'm sorry we can't spend much time with you." She finally said as the light turned green. "Are you sure you don't mind?" Another question that was asked frequently, but without much emotion behind it. Lila wondered if it was just so her mother felt less guilt.

"I'm sure." Lila replied, but she said it with conflicting feelings inside of her. On one hand, she did want to spend more time with her family, and she wanted her parents to pay more attention to her. On the other, it would be weird, because she never really had much of their attention before and they probably didn't even know Lila that well. And she didn't want to get in the way of their jobs, especially after she had been the one to make her parents take her along. Before she started travelling, anything she had done to get her parents' attention normally went unnoticed or punished, because they were too busy or she would lie poorly. But most of the time, she was stuck at boarding school, and her parents were out doing whatever it is diplomats do.

And she had changed that now. But even though she had flown across skies and had touched new places, she still felt like she couldn't even touch her parents.

"Your grandmother can drive you home later." Her mom said as they slowed to a stop in front of an intimidating building of art deco architecture. "Remember, apartment 9C3."

Lila got out of the car and waved goodbye, watching as the vehicle drove off and turned around a corner in the distance. She wasn't really looking forward to unpacking a bunch of old boxes, and she was kind of worried that the woman would be cranky. Too bad for her, though.

There was nowhere else to go.

Lila pushed her way through the spinning doors and walked across the tiled lobby floor to the elevator. It was a fairly nice-looking place, with clean walls and a modern decor. And then she was rising up, moving past floors until the elevator slowed down smoothly at the ninth floor. The doors slid open with a quiet ding, and then she was alone in the floor center. From here she could see three different hallways branching out, and she headed towards the one labeled with a large C. But she didn't even have to look for the specific room because when she looked up, she saw a figure standing partway down the hall. An elderly, thin woman with very short silvery hair was looking at her. She held herself with confidence and with a straight back. She wore rectangular glasses, a buttoned mint cardigan and black pants. Her brown skin was lined with wrinkles, but Lila was suddenly jarred when the laugh lines surrounding the woman's mouth deepened and the bright green eyes crinkled.

She was smiling at Lila. It was a genuine smile that reached up to the woman's eyes and transformed her face into a beautiful expression of joy.

"You must be Lila!" The woman said with a voice full of kindness. Suddenly Lila was reminded of Marinette's parents. Warm, friendly, and brimming with affection. Like Silvia.

"Grandma Silvia?" Lila said quietly as she approached, not quite able to grasp the fact that someone was _this_ happy to see her. She was kind of skeptical, to be honest. Especially because this was the woman who apparently birthed her dad, who was about as affectionate as steel wool.

And then Silvia was sweeping Lila up into a tight hug, leaving Lila speechless. The woman smelled of citrus fruits and flowers, and the cardigan was soft on Lila's chin. Lila suddenly felt a sensation of comfort wash over her. A kind of comfort she had only felt around Marinette's parents.

"Oh, I haven't seen you in so long!" Her grandmother was saying, and Lila slowly put her own arms around her, somewhat willing to accept the physical touch. And then Silvia was backing away and had only her warm hands planted solidly on Lila's shoulders. "Your dad never tells me when I can come visit, it's absolutely ridiculous. It's thanks to your mother that I knew you came to Paris. I'm so glad I can finally see you again. Please, come in."

With that, Lila stepped into the apartment, reeling from the sheer sincerity of the greeting she had just received. And as she moved to take her off her heeled boots, she realized that she felt more at home with Silvia than she ever had around the people who had brought her into this world in the first place.

As Lila swept her eyes around the beautiful apartment, she remembered her main objective and she looked around the rooms to count the boxes. She could see none amongst the clean furniture and light wood floor.

"I thought I was going to help you unpack?" Lila asked as she turned to watch Silvia close the apartment door.

"That comes later. I only have a couple of boxes in other rooms. But now, how would you like some tea?" Silvia offered as she lead Lila to a green sofa with yellow and white cushions. There was a large television screen mounted up on the wall across from her, and a rectangular white coffee table directly in front of her knees. The room seemed to be loosely based off a scheme of white and brown with splashes of green and its analogous colors. In contrast to the modern design of the area, there were also several clay flowerpots with bright leafy plants placed around the room. It was a lot more eye-catching and lively than the muted hues of her own house. It kind of reminded her of the pink that was present in every room of Marinette's bakery.

"Yes, please." Lila answered quietly. She kept her eyes on Silvia as she went through a doorway to a sleek kitchen that was similarly colored. It was a very beautiful apartment, even if Lila felt a bit out of place in her bright orange and black outfit.

She didn't know what to think. Silvia had been everything but what she expected. The lady seemed strong, capable, and immeasurably warm. And she seemed to welcome Lila with open arms.

"Do you like earl gray?" Silvia's voice came from the kitchen.

"Yes." Lila called back, and then she sank down into the cushions. The sofa was so soft and she felt at ease. Despite the surprise she had felt when Silvia's arms had wrapped around her, all she could really conclude was that she really liked her. Several minutes passed where Lila was simply content to relax where she was, and then she heard Silvia's footsteps again. When she looked up, her grandmother held two cups, each giving off slight steam. Silvia placed them down on white coasters on the table, and slid one towards Lila before sitting down on an armchair at another side of the coffee table. Even if Lila had appreciated the hug from earlier, she was also glad to have some space. She reached over and took the handle of one of the white cups and sipped at the hot liquid. And then she was surprised again, because it was exactly how she always liked her tea.

Silvia oriented herself so that she was facing Lila and put one leg over the other.

"We've definitely got to make up for a lot of missed time." She said, smiling. "Talk to me."

And Lila talked.

When Marinette woke up late in the morning, she was greeted with a couple of texts on her phone from Lila, which were said to have been sent several hours ago.

 _Lila: good morning_

Marinette smiled sleepily as she pulled herself up a sitting position.

 _Lila: im going 2 meet my grandma for the 1st time in ages_

Her grandmother? Marinette wondered what she was like.

 _Mari: :o nice! and good morning to u too c:_

She texted back. But unfortunately for her, there was no fun to be had in meeting relatives. Marinette turned her head to look at the deadly mountain of paper on her desk, and sighed.

"I have a girlfriend, too." Lila said, looking down at the cup in her hands.

"Really?" Silvia asked, "tell me about her!" She said, clearly interested in the subject, just as she had been during their entire conversation. After years or never having anyone to just talk to about her life or whatever, Lila had built up quite a hoard of words. And now, here before her grandma, she was letting them go. She had Silvia's undivided attention as she talked about her new school, her new friends, her new life. It made her feel nice. Appreciated. Important. That someone was so focused on her.

"Her name is Marinette," Lila began, looking back up at Silvia. "She was one of my first friends here."

Silvia made a noise of approval at that. "How did that happen?" She asked.

"Just, on the second day of me being here, she came up to me and said she wanted to be friends." Lila told her, smiling at the memory, even if it had come accompanied with confusion and fear over Ladybug. "We got closer over the next few days."

"How so?" Silvia inquired.

"Well, you know how there are all those supervillains and such here, right?" Lila asked.

"Oh, of course." Silvia nodded.

"Well," Lila laughed nervously, "I was one of them."

"The fox one, right?" Silvia said, thoughtfulness in her voice. "She looked just like you!"

"Yes." Lila admitted, blushing a bit. "It's kind of weird, but it seems like a man called Hawkmoth can turn you into a supervillain with black butterflies you feel negative emotions."

"Oh, yes! And Ladybug and Chat Noir help save you, right?" Silvia said knowingly. She probably read the Ladyblog.

"Correct. But for me, I was Volpina twice." Lila confessed. It normally wasn't an easy topic for her to breach, but she felt like if she told Silvia, there would be no ridicule or embarrassment involved. And she was right. "The second time around, um, I felt bad because I thought she didn't like me."

Lila looked up to meet Silvia's gaze. Her grandmother said nothing, only urged her along with wide eyes full of expectation.

"Y-you know how Ladybug always finds the object that the butterfly infected?" Lila continued, feeling blood begin its rush to her face. Because now she was going to admit that something as corny as love saving the day actually happened.

Silvia nodded, leaning forward to show how engaged she was in the story.

"Marinette talked to me before Ladybug showed up. And-" She cut herself off, growing more embarrassed by the second. Everytime she thought about what happened between her and Marinette, she was overcome with the urge to frolic about. Then she swallowed and continued. "Well, she kissed me while I was Volpina. And it only took that for the butterfly to leave." She finished, and was fairly red as she finally closed her mouth.

Silvia leaned back into her chair, with a mix of awe and satisfaction on her face.

"Wow." She finally said. But she didn't make fun of Lila, or laugh, or anything that made Lila regret telling her. Being able to talk about so casually (even while concealing an important piece of information) was refreshing. Lila couldn't imagine even breathing a word of it to her parents. But around Silvia, she felt like she could talk about anything.

Lila had never had that before.

And when Lila folded down the last cardboard box, laughing at a joke that Silvia had told with a mischievous smile, she'd realized that the sun had already dipped below the horizon a long time ago.


	16. Awkward

When the weekend came to a close and Monday descended upon our poor students like a vulture, Marinette was in a grumpy mood. Despite the fact that Sunday had been akuma-free and she hadn't had many plans, her teachers had given her a lot of homework and she hadn't slept well. Also, Lila hadn't texted back, which wouldn't have been too big of a deal since Marinette was going to see her anyway, but it was like a nice cherry on the top of it all. Even if she had managed to confess via text to Lila, too little time had passed since the beginning of their relationship and it was still a bit overwhelming.

She was careful not to let her annoyance transform into anything severe, because she knew that she ran the risk of Hawkmoth sensing her emotions and deciding it would be a fine time to send out an akuma. So it was a Marinette with only mildly ruffled feathers that made her way to school with a backpack full of an ungodly amount of homework. To be honest, part of it was her fault because it had been assigned the Monday previously and she may or may not have procrastinated it until the last day. But she wasn't going to admit that.

When Marinette entered the school, she spotted Lila from afar, who was walking to her locker. Actually looking at her again was a lot different from the safety of merely sending texts to her. There was a mix of happiness in her, and also a little hesitance because Lila hadn't texted back yesterday. But she knew that was irrational, Lila probably was just busy with her grandma. Still though.

She still wanted to talk to her. Marinette steeled herself and took a breath as she walked to the locker room. She could do it.

Just then, someone bumped into her shoulder lightly.

"Marinette!" Alya exclaimed in greeting.

"Hey, Alya." Marinette managed a smile, but Alya could tell she was somewhat less chipper than usual.

"Awe, are you already having your first fight?" She asked teasingly.

"No." Marinette said, laughing slightly. "Just tired."

"Someone procrastinated for a week, then?" Alya raised her brows as she made a knowing smile.

"Maybe." Marinette ducked her head a little.

"Is that all?" Alya pressed on, and then she got an idea. "Did someone not text back or something?" She said, moving closer to Marinette as she zeroed in on the target. Marinette looked away as she began to blush. _I'm not that petty!_

"Pshh, I wouldn't get upset over something like that. That's ridiculous." Marinette said in defiance. _Definitely not_.

"Ohoho." Alya smirked, knowing she hit the bullseye. "What, so your girlfriend left you hanging?"

"Oh, come on, Alya. She was busy. Lila was with relatives." Marinette huffed, lowering her voice as they got closer to the room.

"But you're still lonely and lovesick?" Alya laughed, elbowing Marinette in the side.

"No way." Marinette said in response, making a face.

"Well, even if you were…" Alya trailed off as they entered the room, "She's right there at 11 o'clock." She finished, and then with a wink, she shoved Marinette forward a bit. "You're dating her! Act like it."

Marinette nearly yelled in protest but the push had sent her barreling towards Lila, who had just turned around from closing her locker. Alya definitely had not pushed Marinette hard enough to travel more than a foot, but Marinette was willing to put the blame on her anyway so she didn't have to admit that she just wanted to bump into Lila.

When Lila woke up that morning and looked at her texts, she made a face when she realized that she had typed out a " _good night ill tell u 2moro_ " to Marinette and had never hit the send button. Whoops. It would be too weird to send it now, and it would also be weird to just type out a good morning directly after her previous text.  
Crap. Lila had sighed, put her phone away and resolved to just talk to Marinette when she saw her.

And now she was here, in front of her locker as she grabbed whatever notebooks she needed and thinking of Marinette. She was still adjusting to their current status. But even if it was still hard to think of Marinette as her girlfriend, it still brought joy. Lila smiled to herself, hoping she could spend more time with her. As she closed the locker with determination, she turned around just in time to see her wish granted; something dark suddenly crashed into her and she stumbled back and hit the locker door. Lila threw her hands out to stop the poor soul from tumbling down to the ground, and she found her fingers wrapped firmly around the person's waist. And when the person looked up bashfully, Lila could see that it was Marinette she was currently holding up.

"Marinette!" Lila's face turned red at an impressive speed. She saw Marinette open her mouth to say something, but it was cut off by someone _whistling._ Lila looked away to pinpoint the offender, but it had turned out to _not_ be a whistle of taunt, and was instead of a whistle of congratulations. The whistler was tall and wore a red hoodie, and his black hair was dyed a blond at the front.

"Congratulations, Marinette!" He exclaimed loudly, throwing thumbs ups with a big grin. This had the effect of the entire aisle turning to look at Lila and Marinette. Thankfully, aside from the two girls and Kim, there were only a handful of other people here including Alya, a red-haired boy, and another short boy with a green shirt and suspenders.

"Kim!" Marinette spluttered as she straightened, turning as red as Lila. Lila looked back and forth between them, torn between freaking out again or putting on her cool facade. To be honest, her entire life was a battle of always freaking out. She managed to throw a cool smile on.

"See you in class," Kim said and walked past them with his bag, winking as he exited the room. He was followed by the short boy who gave Marinette and Lila a smile, and then it was just the other boy left. His red hair covered one of his bright cyan eyes and he wore an unbuttoned button-down. He took one look at Lila, frowned a little bit, and then his shoulders slumped a bit as he walked out. Ok, what.

"Um." Lila whispered, looking at Marinette and then at Alya for clarification on what just happened. Alya walked over, and patted Lila on the shoulder.

"The poor kid crushes on Marinette." Alya sighed, shaking her head. Marinette ducked her head a bit.

"Yea. I don't like Nathanaël that way, though." She said. Lila looked down at Marinette as she began to look back up. Ooh, it was time for a vaguely cool line. Lila felt her heart begin to speed up as she opened her mouth, ready to say something that was probably terribly embarrassing.

"Well, I can't blame him for that. You're just so desirable." Lila drawled, drawing Marinette closer because for some reason she still hadn't let go of her waist. Marinette's mouth fell open and it looked like her spirit just exited her body, which was satisfying to see. On the other hand, the mere fact that Lila had just said that _out loud_ made her want to pass out as well. It was a double-edged sword.

"Lila, as great as you are, I would appreciate it if you _didn't_ send Marinette to heaven right before class." Alya said, laughing as she saw Marinette's knees begin to wobble.

"Trust me," Lila said as she pulled her girlfriend upright, "This is a struggle for me, too." She was impressed with how much she managed to mask her heart attack. Her heart pounded as she finally let go, missing the warmth of Marinette almost immediately. Lila felt like she needed to go lie down in a cooler for a long time.

Marinette was still out of commission even after Alya went and got both of their belongings, so she had to physically drag her out of the room.

"We'll see you at lunch, then?" Alya called as she walked away.

"Yea. See you!" Lila waved, and then when she was alone in the aisle, she put her head on the locker and tried to calm down. She was glad she could have that effect on her girlfriend but having to actually have those words come out of her own throat was extremely embarrassing. She wasn't sure she could handle doing it again. It _was_ worth it but it was hard.

Lila took a deep breath.

 _It's time to be cool again. Be cool for Marinette!_

Marinette was destroyed. She had heard lines like Lila's in like fifty different variations from a certain superhero known as Chat Noir, and it had never done anything more than make her eyes roll. But here she was, in the process of developing some extreme gal pal feelings to Lila, and when the words came from Lila she just felt her inner self sort of collapse in on itself. She could tell she had it hard. The moment had essentially made up for all the grumpiness she'd had earlier.

And here she was with Alya, walking to their usual lunch table with Adrien and Nino in tow (they were all a gang now, let's be honest here), while Alya teased her relentlessly.

"I saw that you and Lila are dating officially now." Adrien had said earlier, referring to the social media relationship status that had sent Marinette into a brief moment of ecstasy (and some explaining to do to her parents) "Congratulations!"

"You two are so great together." Nino had said with a grin.

Every time Marinette thought about the dating thing she died a little. In the good way. But during morning classes and some serious thinking, she had prepared herself. In case Lila decided to be flirty and pretty and beautiful like she always was, Marinette prepared herself to _not_ almost faint on the spot. She remembered the past when she could talk easily to her but now that she knew she liked Lila it was getting a bit harder.

"Here comes your girlfriend." Alya whispered as they all put their bags down. "Make sure to sit next to her after we get food."

Somehow throughout the day Alya decided to help coach Marinette through being a girlfriend. Marinette watched as Lila approached, and breathed a sigh when Lila put her bag on the chair next to hers. Lila had done the work for her.

"Hey Lila!" Marinette said, mustering up her normal cheer. Her friends greeted her, too.

"Hello." Lila replied in a reserved manner. Marinette was somewhat disheartened by this turn of events, but she also wasn't sure how she should act around Lila after the heart-racing episode from this morning.

"Hold her hand!" Alya whispered as they all got up to get food.

"What?!" Marinette nearly yelled. "That's too much for me."

"Did you not hold her hand for like six years on Saturday?" Alya said, raising an eyebrow.

"She started it." Marinette said, raising her shoulders. "I can't be the one to initiate it. That's too much for me."

Alya narrowed her eyes, and then she stealthily moved so she was with Adrien and Nino.

"Guys, I think we need to help them out." She said quietly.

"Definitely." Nino agreed.

"Yea." Adrien echoed their sentiment, and then he smiled as he looked at them. "I'm so happy for Marinette though. She's such a great friend." He probably supported them more than Alya did, honestly. Alya cackled on the inside.

"Let's set them up for a date." She suggested. "You know, that typical we-all-agree-to-hang-out-and-then-all-of-us-except-them-cancel kind of date."

"Do we get to the typical following-them-around-and-making-sure-it-goes-well thing too?" Nino asked, clearly excited by this idea. Adrien, as a total romance noob, was all about this as well. He privately thought that he needed to get a significant other sometime soon because at this point he would be fifth-wheeling off of two couples everytime he went out with his friends. He kind of wished he could ask out Ladybug, but that wouldn't work out since she would have to come as herself and not as Ladybug, and she probably wouldn't go for that. Also, she didn't like him as Chat Noir, so he wasn't sure how much she would like him as Adrien, too.

"As long as I'm not third-wheeling off of you two." He added jokingly.

Alya punched his shoulder.

Unfortunately, the rest of lunch passed in an extremely awkward talk that involved Marinette and Lila blushing and barely speaking to each other. Alya needed to fix this.

When school came to a close and Lila began her walk home (or to Silvia, she felt like she could ask her for relationship advice), cursing herself for not knowing how else to act around Marinette especially after the most awkward lunch period she'd ever had in her entire life, she was stopped by someone calling out her name softly. Lila turned around to see Nathanaël standing there, and her first thought was _oh crap_.


	17. Solutions

"Hey." Nathanaël said shyly, and Lila debated whether she just turn around right now and flee. But no, Lila didn't run from her problems like that (she does every single time, she's lying to herself), and she stood her ground.

"Hey…" Lila said back, wondering if he was going to fly into a fit of rage and/or jealousy.

"Um." Nathanaël began, and then Lila could have sworn she could see his knees begin to shake. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for how I acted this morning. I wasn't trying to be rude." He managed to get out. Lila cocked her head slightly.

Ohhh, Nathanaël was worried about his behavior from earlier. That was the complete opposite of what Lila had been expecting, and she lowered her defensive armor.

"I didn't want you to get the wrong idea. I was just, um-" Nathanaël continued.

"Jealous?" Lila supplied for him easily, and he blushed a bit and averted his gaze.

"Yes." Nathanaël ducked his head nervously. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you know, too. Everyone does. Anyway, I also wanted to say that I'm not going to do anything."

Lila looked at him blankly, confused by what he meant by that.

"I mean, I won't do anything to your or Marinette. She doesn't like me that way. I'll have to give up on her." He hurried to clarify, and Lila watched as his shoulders went down in sadness. Oh.

The poor kid.

"I, um… thanks." Lila said, suddenly unsure of how to handle the situation. "For telling me." She appreciated that Nathanaël had not just called her over to bite her head off. And even if she was dating the love of his life, she thought she might like to be friends with him. He seemed like a really nice pal.

"Yea…" Nathanaël scratched the back of his head and looked away.

"I hope we can friends." Lila suddenly blurted out, surprising both herself and Nathanaël, who brightened considerably. While this was something Lila said often to everybody for the sake of popularity, she rarely said it with a genuine intent to befriend. It seemed as if some of Marinette's amiability had rubbed off on Lila.

"Me too." Nathanaël said and smiled, and Lila was suddenly struck with the realization that had she not moved to Paris when she did, Marinette may have fallen for Nathanaël. Because looking at him now, Lila had to admit the boy had an extremely charming smile, alluring blue eyes and a quiet but attractive personality. Marinette could have fallen in love with him if Lila hadn't been there.

Lila thanked the heavens that she had been there.

"Thanks." Nathanaël smiled again, showing off blindingly bright teeth. Jesus, the boy belonged in a dentist commercial. "And I'm happy for you and Marinette. See you around!" And then he took off, blushing while fleeing the scene as Lila had done previously whenever she encountered Marinette. Lila felt a little bad, because Nathanaël was so nice, but she also felt triumph over being the object of Marinette's affections.

Lila continued walking and the gears in her head started to turn. She realized that like Nathanaël, there were probably other people who crushed or will crush on Marinette, and probably could do a better job at loving Marinette than Lila could. And here Lila was, stumbling awkwardly through a relationship. Even though Lila considered herself as Marinette's significant other, she wasn't acting enough like it.

Lila pursed her lips as she thought. She was lucky to be the one Marinette liked back, and she decided that she needed to try harder. She needed to do a better job of showing her affection and keeping Marinette's eyes on her. Lila narrowed her eyes and picked up the pace, her heels clacking on the sidewalk with determination. She had some mild Facebook detective work to do. And by that, she meant she needed to find out more about Marinette and her interests and adopt them as well. If they had more in common, perhaps they would be less awkward and Marinette would like her more. Lila would also probably try to slam on her suave flirty face.

She just wanted Marinette to keep liking her. She couldn't lose her girlfriend.

So instead of walking to the brightly colored apartment of her Grandma, Lila turned and continued to her own, gray house.

Marinette was similarly disheartened over the awkwardness of the day's lunch. She'd thought that after the texting confession and such it would be easier, but it seemed that whenever she saw Lila she kind of seized up, or forgot how to speak, or something of the sort. It also seemed like Lila was acting a little off again, like she had directly after the akuma attack on Saturday, when she'd seemed distant.

"She's probably just trying to act cool, you know." Tikki said as Marinette opened the hatch to her bedroom.

"I don't know." Marinette replied a little sadly. But that made a little sense; Lila had said that she tried being cool around Marinette sometimes. And she'd been "cool" earlier by catching Marinette that morning and saying what she did. Even so, Marinette liked knowing that she was able to make Lila flustered and drop the facade. Although this way, she supposed Lila now knew that she too could make Marinette flustered.

"I _know_ Lila likes you a lot." Tikki tried again, flying in front of Marinette's face. "Don't worry. It's only been a couple of days, she's probably not used to it."

"Don't you think Lila has probably dated before?" Marinette asked as she set her backpack down. Lila traveled frequently, so she consequently met a lot of people. Plus she was pretty and had connections and could flirt easily, so it would come as no shock if she had dated a couple of times.

But to her surprise, Tikki just laughed.

"Not with the way she's acting around you, no." She said, smiling.

"No way!" Marinette said, mouth slightly open in shock. That couldn't be true, not after how Lila held her close and said what she did.

"Well, certainly someone with more experience would know dating works. And you've seen from today how awkward you two are." Tikki flew down to sit in Marinette's hand.

"Isn't that my fault? I don't know how to act around her." Marinette said, frowning.

"I'm certain it's the same for her. Lila's not acting like an experienced girlfriend." Tikki continued, a knowing expression on her face.

"You mean I'm her _first_ girlfriend?" Marinette realized as she suddenly flushed. That would mean their kiss was probably her first, too.

"I think so." Tikki said.

"So we're both dating noobs?" Marinette put a hand to her head, wondering why she'd thought Lila had probably already dated even after all of her awkwardness. It had probably been the way she acted that morning. All suave and cool

"Yep." Tikki nodded. "And if she _did_ date before, it probably wasn't for much at all."

"Wow." Marinette whispered.

"You two need to work out this relationship." Tikki advised. "And you just need to be yourself. Lila likes _you,_ so be you."

Marinette smiled at Tikki, understanding what she was saying. It was kind of hard to accept that she was good enough for Lila because she didn't always have a lot of self-confidence. But Tikki had never steered her wrong, and she had enough confidence. And it may be hard to be around Lila, but with time she was sure she would get used to it, and they would both be happier for it in the future.

"Thanks, Tikki. I'll try." Marinette resolved. And perhaps she needed to show Lila that she didn't need to act cool or anything. Because Marinette also liked Lila for being Lila, not because she was popular and knew famous people. Not because Lila was cool and suave. But because Marinette felt her heart thud when she looked at Lila's smile. Because she was able to see Lila's honesty.

"And you still need to ask her how she knew." Tikki added, and Marinette groaned.

Meanwhile, Lila was a people-pleaser. She wanted people to like her, and part of the way she could get that was by pleasing people (and lying). She wanted Marinette to like her, so she was going to please her by liking what she liked. And she was going to be a cool girlfriend. Marinette deserved better than her awkward self. She deserved someone who had more in common with her, who could actually talk to her. So Lila was going to hopefully become that.

That was why she was currently reading about Ultimate Mega Strike 3, the Gabriel fashion line, and news about Ladybug. Lila had dabbled in video games before, but she preferred role-playing games to fighting ones. Marinette had apparently won the Ultimate Mega Strike 3 tournament for their school with the green-shirted boy Max. She had found that out among a myriad of other things. Gabriel Agreste was also her favorite fashion designer, and Lila laughed a bit upon remembering how Adrien was the man's son. Lila had previously thought that Marinette liked Adrien, but that thought had been quelled when Marinette had kissed her. She'd probably crushed on Adrien before Lila came along.

But now Lila was here, and she and Marinette were dating. As Lila scrolled through Gabriel Agreste's website and glanced over pictures of Adrien amongst other models, she recalled how she had seen hints of him in Chat Noir the day she'd become Volpina again. Lila wondered if the boy actually _was_ Chat Noir. They both had blond hair and green eyes, even if Chat Noir's hair was styled a bit differently. They weren't mirror images of each other like the way Marinette and Ladybug were, though. When she'd thought of it on Saturday though, she was so upset about how perfect it was for Marinette to have a crush on the boy who was Chat Noir who crushed back on her superheroine self.

Although that was different now. She and Marinette were together, and Adrien seemed to support it. So if Adrien _did_ turn out to be Chat Noir, well, that would be funny. He was supporting his own demise, then.

Lila clicked back onto the Ladyblog tab, wondering if she could glean any information about Marinette's likes from there. But aside from fighting super villains and saving Paris, Ladybug did nothing else. There was not much more Lila could get from the various forms of social media she'd friending Marinette on. It was just fashion, some video games, and a little bit of art stuff. So that was what Lila had to go on.

Lila already had a solid knowledge base on fashion, but she never really knew much about the Agreste line. And she had only a beginner's skill at fighting games. But Lila had enough time to learn a good chunk more. With her soon-to-be-learned-knowledge and endless charm, she could definitely be the best girlfriend.

The next day was a fine, sunny Tuesday. Marinette came to school determined to talk some more with Lila so they could stop being awkward. So when she saw her walking down the road to school, she pounced immediately.

"Lila!" She called out, and then she was walking alongside her, all sunshine and flowers.

"Hey." Lila answered in a calm voice. She smiled down at Marinette.

And then they walked in a painful silence for about a minute. Marinette was dying on the inside. Lila looked away, and Marinette frowned. This was the opposite of what she wanted.

"Remember! Take the initiative!" Tikki whispered from inside her jacket. Marinette narrowed her eyes, remembering what she'd resolved to do. She looked down to eye Lila's hand, which was thankfully open and swinging alongside her. Marinette took a breath and reached down and grabbed it, immediately entwining their fingers. Then she was too scared to actually look at Lila's face so she just kept looking ahead, focusing on the warmth she felt on her palm. But neither of them said anything still.

Well, at least this was an improvement.

Lila _had_ been about to break the awkward silence by breaking out some sick Agreste knowledge. Gabriel released a new line a couple of days ago to fit with the Spring season, so she had done some studying up on it. But then Marinette had gone and grabbed her hand, effectively halting whatever words had been about to leave her mouth. Lila looked at Marinette in the corner of her eyes, but Marinette wouldn't look up. Lila could see a faint blush along her cheeks, and then she had to look away in order to briefly make a face of shock in reaction to how cute Marinette was being. They said nothing for awhile, but then they were walking up the steps to the school.

 _Be the cool girlfriend_ , Lila repeated to herself, thinking she was doing a piss-poor job at dating Marinette. She couldn't hold a dang conversation and she could barely handle Marinette holding her hand. They had to let go after going to their lockers, but when they left the locker room and had to part ways, Lila reached for Marinette's wrist and lightly pulled her back from leaving. Marinette was about to say something, but was stopped by Lila putting her other hand on Marinette's shoulder and pressing her lips against hers. Then she backed up and smiled at Marinette's surprised but pleased expression.

"I'll see you later." Lila said smoothly as landmines went off inside of her, and then she walked off, deciding she could break out her sick Gabriel fashion knowledge some other time while simultaneously congratulating herself for being cool.


	18. Mall Date

_Alya: u free on friday afternoon?_

 _Alya: i gotta go shopping_

 _Mari: sure! i have time_

 _Alya: nice B) lets go sometime after school then. i invited the others also_

 _Mari: oo cool_

And that was how Marinette found herself waiting at the mall alone, wearing a simple white dress of her own making and a pink cardigan (may or may not be to look cute for Lila).

She was thinking about the past couple of days and her interactions with Lila. The day of their second kiss, during lunch together, Lila had suddenly struck up conversation with Adrien about Gabriel Agreste's latest fashion line. Marinette then joined in and was able to talk more with Lila. Then when they went home, Lila had started to text Marinette and that time, she had begun to talk about video games, specifically Ultimate Mega Strike III. Marinette was glad that the topic was one she could also talk about, so the two of them were able to talk more. She had been surprised that Lila was so knowledgable on a fighting game, but she had dismissed that thought in favor of talking to her.

But after a couple of days she started getting a bit suspicious. Because she realized that every time that they spoke with each other, it was about Marinette or her interests. Somehow, Lila miraculously had all the same hobbies as her. Sometimes she would try to ask Lila about her, but she just managed to redirect the conversation to something else Marinette knew about. It was a bit frustrating, because Marinette wanted to learn more about Lila, but Lila seemed dead set on talking about fashion and games and art. And she was beginning to doubt the legitimacy of Lila's fondness for Gabriel Agreste's clothing.

Even Tikki had her suspicions, but she had only smiled when Marinette asked about it.

"Some things you need to figure out for yourself." Tikki had said playfully. "I think you'll get it pretty soon." Marinette thought that she had it down after only a little bit more of thinking.

Marinette liked that she was interacting more with Lila, but she didn't really have it in her to talk about the same exact things again. Furthermore, Lila also seemed bent on being the cool and flirty Lila, which Marinette could appreciate, but she also knew that that wasn't the real Lila. With Nino's help and words of wisdom from Alya, Marinette came to the conclusion that Lila was trying to impress her, or something of the sort. She wished Lila could drop the act; she had liked seeing Lila fumble with her words and she liked her honesty. On the other hand, she appreciated that Lila was trying so hard, and she didn't know how to bring up the issue to Lila. It would be weird.

"Marinette." Lila's cool voice came from behind her, and Marinette nearly jumped.

Even almost a week later, she felt her spirits rise when she looked at her girlfriend. A smile made its way to her face as she took a couple of steps to close their distance.

"Hey!" Marinette said cheerfully. She was still happy to see Lila, even if she had a facade on. Perhaps today Marinette would be able to break it down along with the help of Adrien, Nino and Alya. As she looked up at Lila's green eyes, her gaze fell and she suddenly pictured herself cupping Lila's face and bringing it down t-

Marinette had to turn away to hide her face and the obvious red that was beginning to tinge her cheeks.

"Still waiting on the other three, I guess." Lila said from behind Marinette.

"Yup." Marinette said, forcing herself to calm down. She and Lila had already kissed twice, but she was still nervous thinking about doing it again. Heck, she was a super heroine and she could barely hold Lila's hand without her body going into the fight or flight response. But she did her best.

Just then arms came around her, and Marinette's eyes widened as she registered Lila's chin coming to rest on her shoulder and her arms encircling her shoulders. And then half a second passed and Lila's body was pressed to Marinette's back.

 _Fight or flight! Fight or flight!_

Marinette's body kicked in and started releasing tons of adrenaline into her system as she began to freeze up. Apparently she was neither fighting nor was she fleeing, because she was so shocked by the events that she couldn't even move. Which was kind of okay, because most of Marinette didn't want to move.

"Well, I don't mind it being just us two. You're especially beautiful today." Lila's breath gusted over her ear and Marinette felt a shiver run through her body as she processed what she just heard. Her face was redder than her Ladybug suit.

Just then, Marinette's phone vibrated, and she moved, robot-like, to take it out of her cardigan pocket.

 _Alya: my mom is making me stay home because a relative is visiting D: im sorry_

 _No!_ Marinette stared down at the text in horror. And then Nino's name suddenly appeared at the top.

 _Nino: man im sorry but i think im sick_

 _Nino: i dont think i can make it :'(_

Marinette didn't move. She half expected Adrien to cancel on them next.

She expected right.

 _Adrien: ugh my dad planned an extra shoot for me today, i cant come :(_

Marinette's phone came dangerously close to just falling out of her hand.

"What, is it Alya?" Lila asked as she moved from behind Marinette to next to her.

Marinette turned her head and gave Lila a withering look.

"She can't come." Marinette said, realizing the situation she was in.

"What about Nino and Adrien?" Lila's voice took on a slight edge of panic. Marinette hoped the expression on her face would be enough to convey the news.

All three of their friends had cancelled on them. And now it was just Marinette and Lila.

There was nothing they could call this outing but a date. It was now a date. They had never gone on a date before. They had never been out alone together sans the Volpina thing. Marinette's next thought was that Alya had probably planned this from the start. She looked up to see how Lila was handling the news.

Lila looked like she was about pass out.

When Lila had said she wouldn't mind it just being her and Marinette, she had been lying. And now, with her words a terrible prophecy that had come true, Lila was about to lie herself down on the ground, fold her hands together and bid farewell. She had already taken a hard blow by hugging Marinette from behind. How she kept her composure, she didn't know. She didn't think she had it in her to do anything like that again. But now she was going to be with Marinette. At the mall. Alone. Together.

On a date.

Lila was one hundred percent unprepared for this development. She felt like she needed to temporarily excuse herself from the situation and go freak out inside a bathroom stall. There was no way she could keep it together for the whole afternoon. It wasn't that she didn't like spending time with Marinette; on the contrary, she loved it. But she was also worried she was going to act dumb and embarrass both of them, or she may overheat from blushing and die of heat stroke. Marinette's power over her was _too_ much. Also, they might run out of conversation topics especially after she had already exhausted her supply of knowledge about some things that Marinette likes.

Then she realized Marinette was looking at her with worry in her expression, and she coughed lightly before flashing a model-like smile.

"My words still stand." She managed to say, pulling back on her mask. And for some reason, Marinette's face seemed to fall the slightest bit. Lila was momentarily taken aback, but on closer inspection Marinette was wearing a shy smile.

"Then I guess i-it's a date." Marinette responded, and Lila felt her own face heat up again. Marinette stuttered! Lila was making her nervous, she assumed. But it was yet again another double-sided blow, because Marinette ducked her head a bit and looked so dang cute that Lila had to look away again so her _para_ sympathetic system could kick in and calm her body (don't mind me, I recently took my AP test for psychology :V).

"Lucky for us." Lila said in response. _First thing's first._ She composed herself and took several breaths, and then reached over to hold Marinette's hand. "Where to?"

"Y-you want me to pick?" Marinette said, suddenly flustered.

"Of course. I'd follow you anywhere." Lila answered and moved marginally closer, and then promptly died of embarrassment on the inside. Marinette's mouth fell slightly open in surprise, and then it closed.

"Then…" She said, looking off at the stores, "I uh, I think we should get something matching." Marinette finished, her voice wavering as she turned several shades redder. Lila barely managed to contain herself as glee suddenly rushed through her body, nearly making her dizzy.

"Like what?" She asked, for clarification. Marinette tightened her grip.

"You know, like phone charms… or necklaces." Marinette said, and then she was walking ahead and tugging Lila along. Lila was very much in favor of this idea, and she let herself be pulled.

For some reason, Adrien had come to the mall decked out in some sort of secret agent costume.

"Dude, what are you wearing?" Alya asked, almost in disbelief at what she saw before her eyes.

"Isn't this a secret mission? I thought you said we should be disguised." Adrien asked, looking down at his black sweater and jeans. He even had on a scarf to cover the bottom of his face, like a ninja. Nino shrugged. He was wearing a different colored t-shirt and hat then he normally did, and that was the extent of his disguise.

"I didn't mean wear your sketchiest outfit possible, Adrien." Alya sighed, shaking her head. She'd just done enough so that she wasn't recognizable as Alya from afar, and had her hair up in a bun. She also was wearing a casual outfit that she was fairly certain Marinette hadn't seen her wear yet. In the end, she realized, she might have to take the poor boy shopping so that he wasn't looking like he was about to rob a bank before they watched over Lila and Marinette. But on closer inspection, the outfit kind of reminded her of Chat Noir. "Although, you kind of look like Chat Noir in that." She laughed, and then turned to look at the mall map display.

"Really?" Adrien inquired, laughing nervously. "I mean, I guess we're both cool and handsome but we're not _that_ similar. We are definitely not the same person. Nope. Hah."

"Chill, dude." Nino said, patting Adrien on the back. "Are you nervous about your first ninja mission?" He said while chuckling.

Adrien would have elbowed him if he wasn't such a nice guy, and Alya would have noticed the hint if she was not busy scoping out the stores to see where Adrien could get himself some normal clothes.

Marinette was feeling several emotions, such as the following: happiness, giddiness, nervousness, and a mix of betrayal and appreciation. The first three were because of the Lila, and the last could be credited to Alya. She was partly horrified that Alya had put her in this situation all alone, but she also knew Alya did her best as Marinette's wingwoman. To be honest, she probably wouldn't even have had the nerve to ask Lila out on a date, so there was more appreciation.

She had ended up dragging Lila to a cute little clothing store that routinely had a rack of really adorable accessories, including phone charms. Marinette liked the idea of having something to match with Lila, and she was also thinking of using her creativity later to make Lila a bracelet or something later.

"Wow." Lila said as they entered the store. It really was a nice store with pastel walls and upbeat music, and Marinette frequently purchased little things here or there to use in her own creations.

"They have um… _couple jewelry_ over here." Marinette said, and her voice went briefly lower when she mentioned the jewelry. It was still kind of embarrassing to say. Lila followed her to a big display rack, the kind that could rotate.

Marinette was a bit romantic and she wanted something cheesy like halves of a heart, but she was worried Lila might not like something like that. She spun one of the display racks, searching out a suitable candidate when her eyes fell upon one of the cutest sets of couple jewelry she had ever seen.


	19. Necklaces

With the popularity of Paris's two famed superheroes, it was no surprise that people would make couple merchandise with it. Lila was both amused and annoyed by it, because _she_ was the one dating Ladybug and because, well, she was the one dating Ladybug. Everyone thought that Ladybug and Chat Noir were together, and it was kind of funny that they didn't know. But sometimes she thought about them actually being together and then she just felt jealous. Lila removed that set from her options, and continued to look.

"Lila, look!" Marinette said from the other side of the rack, and Lila hurried over, wondering what her girlfriend had seen. But when she looked at Marinette and the pendants in her hand, she faltered a little bit. Marinette was standing by a large mix-and-match section of animal charm couple necklaces, and Marinette had picked out a ladybug and a fox, each adorned with a red jewel heart.

Obviously the fox was meant for Lila. Which, you know, could be cute if Lila hadn't begun associating foxes with darkness and anger. Which could be cute if foxes weren't symbols for sneaky, backstabbing traitors. Lila's first thought, which she knew was irrational, was that Marinette thought that _Lila_ was a lying and deceptive animal. She didn't like being associated with foxes, especially after the Volpina incident.

Lila hadn't realized a frown had made its way to her face until she saw Marinette's face fall, and she hurried to rectify that.

"It's cute." She forced out, but as always, her lying wasn't up to par when it came to Marinette.

"It's okay if you don't like them! I just thought they were cute." Marinette said, eyes wide as she moved to put the necklaces back on the rack. Lila bit her lip; she wanted to support Marinette's choices as her girlfriend. It was good to have harmony in a relationship, right?

"I like them." Lila insisted, and then Marinette was the one frowning.

"Let's look for other ones." Marinette suggested, and then pulled Lila around to a different side of the rotating rack. Lila appreciated that, but she felt like she was being too sensitive over the Volpina thing. It wasn't so big of a deal that she had to disagree with Marinette, right? But it was already done, and the necklaces were returned to their previous places. They continued looking in silence, Lila mulling over her decisions. She wanted to act in such a way that made Marinette happy and give her positive attention, but obviously she was going about this in the entirely wrong way.

"You don't have to lie about that kind of stuff." Marinette suddenly said from a different side, and then Lila felt defensive. The implication that she was just a liar, even if her lies were harmless. Even if she was lying only to make Marinette happy. The memory of Ladybug accusing her in front of Adrien. The shame that had burned her cheeks back then and was beginning to do the same now.

"Okay." She barely said, tamping down on her emotions. It hurt to hear Marinette say that. But she could deal with it. Marinette probably didn't mean it like that; Lila was just overreacting.

Probably.

But she didn't know how to reconcile these conflicting sides. Lila wanted so bad to please Marinette, and she acted cool because she didn't think her actual self was good enough for Marinette. But if Marinette didn't want any of these lies, how would she ever like the real Lila? How would she like the insecure Lila who played a character for the world because she didn't think anyone would give a second thought to her actual personality? Marinette had only seen such a Lila a few times before. If she saw it any longer, she might begin to dislike Lila. Why did it always have to be so bittersweet around Marinette?

Lila could feel a heaviness in the air surrounding them, and she hurried to think of something to talk about. But it was no use, she'd already talked about all of the things relevant to Marinette's interests that she knew of, and she didn't want to repeat anything in fear of sounding boring, and she didn't want to talk about herself. She wasn't sure Marinette would like that. Marinette seemed uninterested in her celebrity talk, too, so she stayed away from that.

She turned her attention back to the necklaces. Surely she could pick out something pretty that Marinette would like, and then she and her girlfriend could forget about this bad scene.

Lila's eyes fell upon a fairly simple pair of necklaces which didn't have halves of a heart ; rather, they were both full hearts but each had a border of small colored gems. Each pack featured a different pair of colors, but the one in front had a pink one and a clear one. She immediately thought that they were perfect, but then she thought twice because they seemed a little childish and uncool.

Fortunately she didn't have to say anything because Marinette came over to see what she was looking at. She immediately pulled the pack off of the rack to bring it closer to her face.

"These are really pretty!" Marinette said, clearly enamored with them before holding them out to Lila. "What do you think?" She asked, a smile on her face that made Lila's heart thud. A good recovery from the last couple of minutes.

"They're cute." Lila said, and then racked her mind for something cool to add on. "But I think they would look much better on you."

Marinette blinked twice as her cheeks colored a little bit. _Score_ , Lila thought, pleased with her reaction even if she was also spinning circles on the inside.

Despite the brief moment of awkward earlier, Marinette was feeling vaguely happy (upon reflection, she realized that it hadn't really been a good idea to reference Volpina like that and felt suitably apologetic, although she still disapproved of Lila lying about liking it). They ended up buying the necklace set, and Marinette had immediately thought of helping Lila put the necklace on. Thinking of touching Lila's neck and her hair like that made her blush again, even if it was honestly nothing that intimate. She'd touched Alya's neck before when she was playing around with her hair at one point, but it seemed completely different with Lila.

 _Just ask, you can do it_ , Marinette said to herself, and then with determination she pulled the necklaces out of the fancy paper bag.

"Can I put it on you?" Marinette asked nervously as she opened the thin plastic packaging. They were standing near one of the benches spread around the mall, and it was a good location to put their bags down temporarily (she failed to notice a familiar girl standing next to a familiar boy in a shop close by). She avoided looking at Lila in temporary embarrassment, but a quick glance told her that her girlfriend was blushing.

"Only if I can put yours on for you." Lila said, and the two of them sat down.

Marinette smiled again as Lila turned away so that she could put on the necklace. She assumed that the one with the pink gems was for her, so she carefully unhooked the other one from the cardboard square and then scooted closer to Lila. She bit her lip as she lifted up the necklace so she could loop it around Lila's neck, and then carefully lowered both ends of the clasp.

"Um," Marinette began, beginning to blush again as her fingers brushed against Lila's impossibly soft hair. "Could you move your hair?" She asked, trying hard to keep her voice steady.

Lila wordlessly reached back and pulled her massive mane of hair over her shoulder, and the red in Marinette's cheeks went up several levels when she felt Lila's hands touch hers briefly. Then came the hard part, which was actually hooking the ends together. She was extra nervous and jittery, so the difficulty went up from hard to expert. Marinette pulled down the tiny lever to open the hook and moved the circle on the other end of the chain over. But just as she was about to slide the ring into the hook, her thumb slipped and the hook closed.

This process was repeated about three times before she successfully clasped the necklace, and she let out a big breath as if she had just performed some extreme endurance test.

She looked up from the silver chain up to Lila's neck, where she could see her skin because the hair was swept all the way to the side. Marinette was momentarily seized with the urge to just lightly kiss the back of Lila's neck. But no, that was far too bold for her and she was temporarily frozen in place as she considered her options.

"Done?" Lila asked and began to turn around, and Marinette did a one-hundred-and-eighty degree turn so that she was facing away to hide her cheeks.

"Yea." Marinette replied softly, and she held the other necklace behind her, and squeezed her eyes shut when she felt Lila's hand take it. It was such a simple gesture but knowing that the two of them liked each other romantically made it all the more heart racing. Marinette looked down at her hands, which she had pressed down on her knees. She watched the chain come down in front of her face as Lila looped it around her neck, and then she felt the cold metal touch her collarbone. Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to control her heart, and then it was with a single attempt that Lila clasped her necklace. It didn't surprise her, that someone as fashionable as Lila would be skilled with jewelry.

"I'm done." Lila said, a slight shake in her voice. It helped Marinette to know that both of them were having trouble staying steady, and she turned around to look at Lila.

But the moment she had, she saw something was wrong. Lila's eyes had widened and she suddenly looked ashamed, but Marinette realized she wasn't look at her. She was looking a little below her eyes.

"Turn back around." Lila said embarrassedly, and Marinette glanced down to see that the necklace charm was facing the wrong way, and only the silver backside was in view. Lila had put it on her wrong. Her own eyes widened and then she looked back up at Lila and let out a small laugh. Lila looked mortified, but Marinette wasn't laughing maliciously. She wasn't sure how to explain that to Lila, so instead, with another laugh bubbling out of her, she reached over to wrap her arms around Lila. With the atmosphere defused a bit, she felt less nervous and was able to be in such contact with Lila without freaking out.

"Oh, my god." Alya said as she looked at the events unfolding. She and Nino were hanging around clothing racks near the front of a shop while Adrien went and got some normal clothes.

"Uh, maybe we should do the same thing." Nino suggested awkwardly and Alya gave him a pointed look. He shrugged and smiled sheepishly. Alya rolled her eyes and patted his arm.

"Later." She told him. "We need ideas to help them get closer." Alya said, and then pursed her lips as she perused the area.

"You know, I think they're doing pretty good on their own." Nino commented as he looked over at the two girls, who were in the middle of an affectionate hug.

"Yea," Alya agreed, and then frowned. "But I'm trying help out my best friend. That's what I do."

"True, but you already have by setting up this date." Nino looked away from their friends to Alya, who sighed.

Just then Adrien walked over, thankfully wearing a normal outfit. His stealthy ninja clothes were safely tucked away in his messenger bag.

"Is this alright?" He asked to Alya, but then his attention was snagged by the site of Marinette and Lila together, and he was suddenly very excited. "They're hugging!" He exclaimed a bit too loudly, at which Alya hit him lightly. Luckily, the girls didn't hear.

"You seem really happy about that." Alya said, looking at her best friend again.

"I've never been able to support my friends like this." Adrien smiled. "They look so great together."

Alya looked at Adrien, and she, too, smiled. It didn't seem as if Adrien would ever have started liking Marinette romantically, so she was happy that her best friend found someone who would.


	20. Zipper

After Marinette and Lila had shared a hug, Lila felt relieved and was able to easily fix Marinette's necklace, and she managed to do it in a fell swoop just like before. Having made the uncool mistake before, she'd thought that was the end of her. But Marinette had taken it in stride and as she was re-clasping the necklace, Lila thought about the beginning of her meeting with Marinette, and she wondered how necessary it was that she acted cool. Although she had previously thought that Marinette had come to her as a nice person, she now knew that it was just guilt driving Ladybug to make amends. Perhaps if the whole Volpina thing hadn't even happened, Marinette would never have initiated conversation.

Marinette knew of her past folly, and she had also witnessed Lila at her worst. She had been there when Lila started crying and she had been there when Lila was overcome with villainous emotions. And yet she still said that she liked Lila. And she had thought Lila was cool even before Lila was actually trying to be cool. Despite her past lie and true personality, Marinette liked her anyway.

On the other hand, Lila was just trying to be a nice girlfriend to Marinette. She'd never dated before, and she wanted to make Marinette blush and feel special. And she wanted Marinette to keep liking her. Even though Lila never wanted to lie again after becoming a villain, Lila thought that she needed to act desirable so Marinette wouldn't dump her. But perhaps she hadn't needed to act at all because Lila in her true form was already desirable to Marinette.

Lila thought about that, but she couldn't accept it. No one found her desirable if she didn't supplement herself with fashionable clothes or acquaintanceships with celebrities. And even though she did those things anyway along with studying hard, it had little effect on her parents. The most they did for her was buy her gifts with their lofty diplomat salaries, and rarely did they actually spend time with her. And Marinette had only started talking to her with other motives in mind, not out of an attraction.

The thought of someone liking Lila for being Lila was just unthinkable. The only exception seemed to be her grandmother, which Lila chalked up to family (completely contradicting any of her thoughts regarding her direct family). Lila did what she had to in order to keep Marinette's attention on her, and all the while she was unaware of the fact that Marinette would have preferred a Lila who acted honestly around her. She was unaware that the unthinkable thought was, as a matter of fact, a truth.

Marinette was well-acquainted with Volpina and with Lila, and she knew that much of Lila's life included lies, which is why Volpina's powers revolved around illusions. For some reason she had thought that after she began to date Lila, the lies would cease. But it seemed that they only began to grow in number, although the lies were not made in malevolence. And they weren't exactly direct, obviously false lies like asserting she knew Ladybug. It was more like she had just started acting and trying to be charismatic.

It appeared as if Lila was trying to act cool around Marinette, similar to how she'd tried to impress Adrien, and Marinette wished she would stop. Lila kept forcing herself to say things that were flirtatious, but it was clear to Marinette that she looked uncomfortable saying them. And she'd previously forced herself to learn about Marinette's interests (at least, Marinette assumed that was the case).

Part of the reason Marinette had disliked Lila earlier was because of her lies (most of it had been jealousy), and she had come to like the Lila underneath them. But Lila was still lying, and Marinette didn't know how to make it stop. She didn't want to cause another Volpina, and she didn't want to ruin their short-lived relationship by criticizing Lila over something that wasn't even hurting anyone. Marinette wasn't a fan of provoking or initiating sensitive topics. She could already tell from her previous comment about Lila lying wasn't received that well; Lila had looked like she was about to cry for a second there.

So she decided to steer clear of talking about anything like that, and just prayed that with time Lila would loosen up and drop the act. That Lila would realize she didn't need to act the way she was. Marinette, on the other hand, would try to act in a way that put Lila at ease, like the hug she had given earlier. She was feeling kind of proud of herself there, and hoped she might even initiate a kiss later that date.

The two had left the bench and walked to another store with their hands together, and Lila had been considerably brighter after their embrace, and she had suggested browsing some clothing shops for summer clothes.

And that was how Marinette found herself waiting outside of the changing rooms for Lila, looking down at the outfit Lila had picked out for her. There were still other pieces of clothing left in the dressing room, but Lila had said that they would each try on one set and come out to show each other. While Marinette liked very much clothing design, it was kind of rare she actually went out clothing shopping with a friend and showed said friend (although this time it was her gal pal) all of the outfits. Normally she went out fabric shopping and went home to design her own clothes instead. And she didn't really think she was the best person to actually wear fashionable clothes; she preferred seeing other people wear them. Marinette didn't really think she was that attractive (despite having grabbed the hearts of Nino, Nathanaël, and Lila).

So she was kind of nervous waiting for Lila to step out. She was wearing a sleeveless white blouse and high waisted shorts that were of a bearable length, and she'd been pleasantly surprised by the reflection she saw in the mirror, albeit a bit embarrassed.

"You're so pretty, Marinette." Tikki said while they waited.

"Thanks, Tikki." Marinette said shyly, glancing down at her purse.

"I'm surprised that Lila hasn't asked about the whole Ladybug thing." Tikki mentioned, glancing thoughtfully to the door, and Marinette frowned.

"She might not still be okay with me being Ladybug. It's… probably hard for her to accept it." She replied quietly. Marinette had also wondered the same thing earlier, and she decided that she would wait for Lila to bring it up and then she would talk about it then. Lila hadn't done it just yet, and Tikki had had the good graces to remain hidden every time the two of them were alone.

"Marinette?" Lila called from behind the door and Marinette nearly leaped to attention.

"Yes?" She answered, and then nearly slapped her head because she sounded weird.

"Um." Lila began, and then her voice became stronger. "Could you come in and zip up this dress?"

Marinette's eyes suddenly grew in size as her cheeks were assaulted with a flush.

"Oh my." Tikki said as Marinette looked down at her in shock. Marinette had essentially frozen on the spot.

"Calm down!" Tikki leaped up to look at Marinette directly. "This is nothing! You fight villains all the time, you fly across Paris and you save the day! Surely you can use a zipper!"

Marinette knew that zipping up a dress was really nothing too intimate. She had zipped up her mom's dress, her mom had zipped up her dress, and she'd zipped up her friends' dresses. For some reason though, knowing that she would be zipping up _Lila's_ dress made it about ten times more scandalous.

"...Marinette?" Lila's voice came again, sounding far more uncertain than she had previously.

 _Just zip it. You can do it. You're a fashion designer. You zip up the clothes on mannequins all of the time._

"Sure!" Marinette chirped, and moved to open the door.

"That's the spirit." Tikki somehow gave a thumbs-up despite not having fingers, and flew back down into her purse. Marinette sucked in a breath as she turned the knob and slipped in, closing it quietly behind her.

And then she turned to face Lila's backside, which indeed was a halfway unzipped dress. She was standing in a corner of the fitting room, her back to both the wall with the mirror and the wall with the door. Marinette remembered seeing that dress when they had picked it off the rack. It had a floral top and red skirt. Lila's hair was moved again over a shoulder, and Marinette numbly stepped forward, looking away as if she would miraculously be able to perform the action without watching.

"Did you try on anything?" Lila asked and Marinette almost missed her grab for the small plastic zipper.

"Yes!" She replied immediately, and winced, because she sounded just as nervous as she felt. Because Marinette was totally _not_ in a small, closed room zipping up Lila's dress. "I'm wearing it right now." She tacked on, trying her best to focus on the task at hand. Luckily the mission was a fast one, and Marinette managed to pull the zipper up to the top and fasten the metal hook quickly. "Done."

Marinette was too relieved to have successfully done what she needed to move, and when Lila turned around and bumped shoulders with her she nearly fainted. Marinette stumbled backwards, spewing apologies as she stared at the ground until she hit the opposite corner.

"Wow." Lila breathed, ignoring the totally unimpressive show of Marinette's behavior. "You're beautiful." She said, and then Marinette felt all of the blood rush to her head as she slowly looked up, still pressed against the wall. She had never thought of herself as beautiful, and it hadn't made much of an impression when Chat Noir would always tell her that as Ladybug. But when _Lila_ said it, it was a big difference. Lila had admiration in her eyes and an awestruck smile, and then Marinette was suddenly struck by Lila's beauty. Her expression was full of happiness and the dress she wore only amplified her attractiveness.

A solid second passed and then Lila's face turned equally red and glanced away, her hair gently moving with the motion.

Marinette swallowed hard, and then decided to take the initiative. She was letting her Ladybug determination fill her with resolve. She took several steps forward, her socked feet quiet on the carpeted floor until she had closed the distance between them. Lila looked surprised and her mouth parted in slight shock as it was then _her_ who backed up to the wall.

"C-can I kiss you?" She asked quietly, looking up at Lila through her bangs, as if her hair would shield her from Lila's eyes. Lila's mouth opened further before she then swallowed nervously under Marinette's intense gaze. No words came from her, but she slowly nodded her head and that was all it took for Marinette to then gently place her hands on Lila's cheeks and pull her head down slightly and go up on her toes for their eyes to close and their lips to meet.

Lila's lips were warm, and then Marinette felt Lila's hands settle on her waist, which almost unnerved her but the Ladybug inside kept her calm. The kiss lasted only for a couple of seconds, and didn't involve anything more than just holding their lips together, but it was still enough to send both girls reeling. Marinette withdrew a little bit, still keeping her hands on Lila's pretty face as she watched her eyes open, and then she felt Ladybug slipping out.

Marinette was about to freak out under Lila's equally intense gaze, but it didn't have to last long because Lila moved her head forward and then they were kissing again. Lila's hands slid from her waist to around to her back while Marinette's arms came to wrap around Lila's neck. It was warm and nice and she felt like she could stay like this forever, in Lila's protective embrace. Lila pressed her closer, and Marinette began to feel dizzy because she had forgotten to breathe in the moment.

It was at this precise second that the floor began to shake, and both girls went down on the ground, their teeth clacking together painfully. The clothes hanging up on the walls were swinging left and right, people were yelling in the rooms around them and for a moment it felt like a severe earthquake had seized Paris. But in a second it had passed and Marinette was left on the floor underneath an extremely flustered Lila.

Of course it wasn't just an earthquake. There always had to be an akuma, huh?


	21. Queen of Fashion

this chapter features an akumasona by clloudhead! check it out here: post/143620831149/looks-like-your-card-was-declined-my-akumasona

Lila was very annoyed that an akuma had to come exactly at that moment. Really, she and Marinette were having a perfect moment together and while she could appreciate being underneath her girlfriend, she would have preferred it to have been done purposefully. And it also meant that Marinette would have to transform into Ladybug, which Lila did not like, and would have to go fight the akuma, which Lila liked even less.

Marinette moved to get up and Lila rubbed at her sore lip, which Marinette's front teeth had unfortunately hit during their fall. Lila immediately missed the warmth of Marinette's body, and she sighed, staring up at the ceiling as Marinette got to her feet. She hadn't expected Marinette to actually initiate a kiss, and she'd been temporarily speechless when it happened. But she was still glad it happened.

"Why now, of all times?" She asked as Marinette extended a slender hand down to her. She took it in her own and got up, relishing in the contact between them.

"Yea." Marinette said sadly.

"I guess you, um, have to do that thing." Lila looked away, scratching her head. She wasn't sure what to do. Maybe she should leave the room and come down from the kissing moment. "You know what, I'll just stand over here. Don't mind me." Lila turned around and headed for the opposite corner.

"You're probably going to have to get used to this." A much smaller voice said, and Lila whirled around in surprise to that weird tiny red creature floating halfway between her and Marinette. Lila made a face.

"I think we're going to have to have a talk about um, all this stuff, someday." Lila said awkwardly.

"Yup. We've got questions for you, too." The creature, Tikki, said.

For some reason that sounded menacing.

"Okay, come on Tikki, transform me!" Marinette suddenly called out, effectively halting the uncomfortable conversation. Tikki unnerved Lila, and she was relieved to see it fly away towards Marinette's earring. (Fun fact, I use "Transform me!" instead of "Spots on!" because I saw the French dub first and I actually know some French so that's that.)

A solid twenty seconds passed as Lila watched several sparkles swirl around Marinette, changing her dress into the spotted suit that Lila disliked. Even if Lila had come to terms with the fact that Marinette was indeed Ladybug, she still wasn't comfortable with it.

But as she looked at the heroine, she realized that Marinette looked fiercer, more confident, and freer than she ever had underneath the mask. Perhaps she could come to appreciate this side of Marinette, too.

"Good luck." Lila said quietly as Ladybug finished transforming. She looked down at the ground, unsure of how to act around Marinette's alter ego when all of a sudden a red hand went under her chin and lifted her downcast head, capturing Lila's gaze. Lila was momentarily stunned by the sheer power she could see in Ladybug's radiant blue eyes, a power she wasn't accustomed to associating with Marinette. And then Ladybug planted another kiss on Lila's lips.

But it was different from before. Whereas Marinette's had been shy and tentative, Ladybug's was full of surety and confidence. Ladybug had moved back before Lila had even been able to react, and smiled.

"I'll see you soon, Lila." Ladybug breathed in the short distance between their faces, and Lila could feel her heart do the opposite of calming down. And then the superheroine turned away, pushed open the door, and was gone.

Lila had to sit down and take a moment to breathe. She'd kissed Marinette several times before, but never Ladybug. And now that she had, she had realized just how little she knew Marinette. Lila may dislike Ladybug, but it was undeniable that she was a key part of Marinette's identity. And that no matter how much time she spent around Marinette, she would never truly know her unless she knew Ladybug, too.

Furthermore, she was beginning to find that she actually might like Ladybug. Lila had been trying to be cool and collected the whole time for Marinette but the whole time Marinette's alter ego was already way cooler than Lila ever was.

Lila probably needed to step up her game.

"Uh, guys, I think I really need to use the bathroom." Adrien said.

He, Alya and Nino were currently hiding behind a clothing rack. The three of them were in the store Marinette and Lila had entered some time ago. Alya wasn't hiding, exactly, because she had her phone out and was prepared to capture whatever happened. They had all heard of the rampage the akuma had been going on, and had yet to see it actually pass by.

"Really? There's a supervillain roaming around and now you need to pee?" Nino groaned.

"Um." Adrien smiled sheepishly. "Yea."

Nino rolled his eyes when all of a sudden he saw none other than Ladybug suddenly sprint out from inside the store to the entrance.

"Ladybug!" He exclaimed, and both Adrien's and Alya's heads turned at the same exact time, all three pairs of their eyes as wide as saucers. The superheroine slowed to a stop and turned to look at him, and for a moment she looked incredulous and extremely confused. But it must have been his imagination, because several seconds afterwards she was wearing a grin.

"Have any of you seen the akuma?" She asked.

"Ladybug!" Alya nearly yelled as she bounded over, her smile large and sparkling. She had turned her phone to target Ladybug.

"No." Adrien said, shaking his head. "No akuma here, but we heard it."

"Alright," Ladybug said in response, glancing back out the shop before turning back to Adrien, who appeared to melt a little under her gaze. Nino raised an eyebrow. "Stay hidden, I'll stop it."

"Good luck!" Alya called out as Ladybug left, and then both she and Adrien sighed dreamily. Nino suddenly worried if he had competition, but his attention was caught by Alya moving to leave.

"Where you going?" He asked, before remembering that his girlfriend was also the administrator of the Ladyblog. Alya gestured to her phone.

"I've gotta follow!" She said excitedly, and then she was gone. Adrien patted Nino on the back, and he sighed.

"Well, Chat Noir might be there soon too." Adrien commented, and then Nino vanished just as quickly as Alya had. Finally Adrien was alone, and he moved into a secluded area.

"Plagg, transform me!"

Ladybug only had to follow the trail of clothes, credit cards and other assorted shopping-related items to find the akuma. She had passed by several civilians who were either bound by plastic shopping bags or buried underneath piles of clothes, so she noted that this akuma had several abilities. Standing at the top of an escalator was a girl with an immense mane of pink hair with an equally pink outfit, and she appeared to be shoving an immense amount of money into her tiny wallet. Probably money from civilians.

"Ooh, this is just perfect!" She said, taking notice of Ladybug, who had grabbed ahold of her weapon. "I've been looking for you, Ladybug. It just so happens that I need your miraculous, so I would highly recommend handing it over right now." The akuma said sweetly as she tucked away her wallet.

"I'd rather not." The superheroine declined.

"Who's this?" A familiar voice suddenly said, and Ladybug glanced behind her to see Chat Noir sprinting over. "Shopaholic?"

"My name is Queen Fashion." The akuma hissed, and then drew out a small rectangle from her pocket. With it held between two of her fingers, she swiped the card horizontally, and in its wake several similar, dangerously sharp-looking cards appeared. With a wave of Queen Fashion's hand, the cards were sent flying at the two heros, and they leaped away. But Queen Fashion wasn't done just yet.

"I lost everything." She seethed, and then swiped her card again creating small pink balls. "And you're going to give it back! Give me your miraculouses!"

"This is definitely how I wanted to spend my Friday afternoon." Ladybug muttered as she used her yoyo to swing up to the next floor. She was extremely suspicious about her friends being in the mall, because they had all cancelled on her earlier, and now she had to fight some supervillain in the middle of her accidental date. One of the pink bundles that the akuma had sent after them exploded into a cloud of clothes, and Ladybug stepped to the side. But with the small explosion came a shudder that rocked the floor, and Ladybug realized exactly why there had been a mini earthquake earlier.

"I think we should go shopping together after this." Chat Noir commented as he leaped up beside her and batted away a clothing bomb with his staff. "You, me, on a date at the mall? Sounds purrfect to me." Ladybug rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, but no thanks." She told him as she began to spin her yoyo in front of her, protecting both of them from a couple of other projectiles from Queen Fashion, who looked like she was getting a bit angry.

"Awe, why not?" The cat hero asked, only slightly put off by Ladybug's refusal. The two of them kept moving, dodging credit cards and clothing bombs as they began to close the distance between them and the akuma.

"Chat, please! Now is not the time." Ladybug glanced away from the akuma to shoot the boy a look, when she was suddenly struck with clothing bomb. At least, she had thought it was a clothing bomb until she realized that she could no longer move any of her limbs and had tripped and rolled across the ground for several feet and finally stopped face-down.

"Ladybug!" Chat Noir yelled and changed directions to head towards her, but he was distracted by several razor-sharp credit cards flying past his face.

"Spending too much time talking is deadly, you know. You need to pay attention to your actions." Queen Fashion said, stepping forward and swiping her card again in the air, creating another row of deadly credit cards. "Perhaps you should worry about yourself, kitty cat." She continued, and then struck. Chat Noir let out an eep! and barely managed to hit the cards away.

Well, crap, Ladybug thought to herself. She had forgotten that Queen Fashion also had nets of plastic shopping bags, and now here she was, unable to move because of it. Chat Noir was standing a couple of feet in front of her and fighting off Queen Fashion, so he couldn't do much else. She tried flexing her arms and pushing her elbows out, but it just hurt and the plastic was twisted into rope, so it was hard to break. For a moment she felt an edge of panic begin to creep up in her mind and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. For a moment she was no longer Ladybug; she was just Marinette in a suit. She was trapped and she couldn't fight and she was useless and-

Something touched her arm, and Ladybug opened her eyes to see none other than Lila kneeling next to her armed with a tiny pair of manicure scissors and snipping away at the twisted plastic.

"What are you doing?!" Ladybug hissed quietly, praying that Queen Fashion would be too focused on Chat Noir to notice Lila.

"I'm saving you." The girl replied, and Ladybug realized that Lila looked like she was about to pass out. Her teeth were clenched and she was visibly shaking. Even though Lila was that nervous, she still had come out to help Ladybug when she needed it. And somehow the tiny pair of scissors was doing its job, and Lila successfully sawed through several ropes of plastic.

Just then Chat Noir flew back towards them, similarly tied up in the shopping bags and landing next to Lila. Queen Fashion laughed and stalked forward, a long strip of white paper with small text on it now in her hand.

"How many things did you buy? You sure you're not in debt?" Chat Noir asked incredulously, eyeing the ridiculously long receipt. Queen Fashion wasn't paying attention to him.

Ladybug's heart stopped as she saw Queen Fashion's eyes fix on Lila, who kept on cutting.

"Looks like someone doesn't know when to stay out of others' business." She said with venom dripping from her voice. One strike with the receipt whip knocked the tiny scissors out of Lila's hand, and she gasped. But as Queen Fashion pulled back her arm for another lash, the last pieces of plastic fell away and Ladybug leaped up and hurled her yoyo at the akuma, knocking the receipt from her hand. The akuma recoiled for a second, and then snarled at her.

Lila was pretty certain she had lost her mind. Sure, she was a confident liar, but she was definitely not a confident jumping-into-battle-er. And yet here she was, only feet away from a supervillain armed with blades, nets, bombs and whips.

She may have lost her scissors, but she looked around and spotted some of the akuma's credit card blades on the ground and reached for one. Lila decided that after the helped Chat Noir, she would flee and never return.

"I thought you and Ladybug were never going to be friends?" Chat Noir said as she turned to him and began to cut through his bindings. For a moment Lila froze, because she didn't know how to explain that it was her girlfriend Marinette in red who was currently defending the two of them. It would be extra weird, since Chat Noir was crushing hard on Ladybug. She didn't want to give Marinette away either.

"Times change, Chat." she simply replied. Now that she was no longer talking to Marinette-as-Ladybug, she suddenly felt a bit calmer.

"I see." He grinned. "No one can hate for her long, anyway. She's perfect." Chat Noir's eyes suddenly went misty, and then he snapped back to attention. "I mean, what a brave and beautiful girl you are. It's a pleasure to be rescued by someone this dazzling." Lila felt kind of bad for the poor boy.

She cut through the last piece of plastic and Chat Noir stood up, brushing off the ropes.

"Well, I'm glad I could rescue you." She replied with a wink, although she was really glad she was able to help Marinette. Ladybug. Whatever. She had a personality to keep up.

"Thanks. But you should go hide. And, uh, protect whoever you're with." Chat Noir said awkwardly, clearly referring to Marinette, who he probably thought was all alone in some store. He wasn't very good at hiding all aspects of his identity.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug called out, and Chat Noir turned around to fight alongside her.

"See you around." Lila waved, and then she went into maximum overdrive and was sprinting away at an impressive speed that put Kim and the panther he wanted to race to shame. Her heart was suddenly pumping at a dangerous rate and she felt blood rush to her face.

I just saved Ladybug I just saved Ladybug bhughdgffdgsgerwammmmmmmmmmmm

But as she was running back, she slowed down to catch her breath when she suddenly saw Alya and Nino running in the direction she was coming from. Alya had her phone in hand and she was gesturing wildly to Nino, but they didn't notice her because they were on opposite sides of the hall.

Wow, alright. It only took a little bit of thinking to comprehend the situation, and she let it go and just went past them. She had probably masterminded this date. Alya was only doing what she could to bring her and Marinette closer, and she appreciated it. Even if it was probably bad to keep having this stress on Lila's poor heart.

Somehow Lila made it back to the dressing room and she sat down and buried her face in her hands, her smile peeking past her fingers.


	22. IDK

idk wat chapter titles r anymore sorry

its been a month wats up ive been playing overwatch all day everyday

* * *

Beep.

Ladybug was torn between impressed and distressed that Lila had come out _right in front of the akuma_ and saved not only her, but Chat Noir as well. Not many civilians would throw themselves into the thick of things to help out the super heroes; besides, it was Ladybug's and Chat Noir's duty to protect them. Lila had turned that dynamic right around, which was just that cool but also a bit infuriating. Lila had put herself in danger, even after Ladybug had told her to stay put. And when Ladybug's eyes had landed on Lila right as she was on the brink of panicking, a jolt of _extreme_ panic lanced through her.

But alongside that panic came relief and appreciation. That she was able to get out of that situation and fight back. That she was able to take down the akuma.

Ladybug raced through the mall, searching for somewhere with no people to detransform. She only had two minutes left, but the mall was full of civilians who were getting out of hiding and applauding her as she swung past. Her last hope would probably be going back to the clothing store she had left previously, because not many people had been in there and she could just leap into the dressing room, where Lila had hopefully returned and would receive a lecture.

She swung in through the entrance of the shop and thankfully found it empty. Everyone had probably fled to a more secure place. Ladybug jogged over to the back where the dressing rooms, mind racing with words she would tell Lila once she saw her. Even if she was glad that Lila had saved her, she was far more upset that Lila had put herself in danger like that. Ladybug had been so scared that something would happen to her.

She managed to make it to the dressing room without detransforming and she pulled the door open to reveal Lila sitting on the bench in the corner. Ladybug steeled herself and stepped in, closing the door behind her.

"Marinette!" Lila exclaimed, jumping to her feet at the sound of the door. A smile appeared on her face. Before Ladybug could compose herself, entirely, her mouth was already moving.

"What were you thinking?!" She stepped forward, emboldened by her mask. Ladybug wasn't yelling, exactly, but she was speaking forcefully. Lila's smile fell as it was replaced by a confused expression.

"W-what?" Lila said, eyebrows suddenly drawn together as one of her feet moved back, bumping into the bench.

Beep.

"Why did you come out?" Ladybug burst out, recalling the sheer terror she had felt earlier.

"You're mad at me? Why?" Lila struggled to say, her eyes wide and disbelieving, and Ladybug blinked, realizing she had been acting without thinking. Lila wore a hurt expression, and Ladybug mentally backtracked, pushing aside her anger.

"Lila, look." She began to say, suddenly feeling ashamed. She was stuck in her Ladybug persona, and it was too easy to express her emotions when she had a mask on. It was too easy to lose her cool.

And then Lila was looking away, and Ladybug felt all of her resolve from earlier drain right out of her body. Lecturing Lila was not going well, and likely would not ever. Several seconds passed as Ladybug tried to form sentences in her head.

Suddenly Lila took several steps past Ladybug.

"I have to go." Lila mumbled, and Ladybug was shocked to see tears brimming in her eyes. The girl had grabbed the door handle and Ladybug leaped to action.

"Wait!" She reached out a hand, catching Lila's wrist, and tugged her back gently. Ladybug felt a jolt go through her as she saw Lila's expression when she turned. Lila looked like she was crushed. Suddenly Ladybug was back in the park, foot planted firmly on the bench to separate Lila and Adrien as she spat out accusations. Perhaps trying to lecture Lila as Ladybug wasn't the best way to go about it.

Ladybug shook her head to dispel that image, and instead she pulled Lila down into an embrace, holding her tightly. Her hands landed on Lila's soft hair, and she used one of them to stroke it lightly in comfort.

"I was worried about _you,_ Lila." Ladybug whispered into Lila's ear, and then she felt Lila sag in her arms and push her head down into Ladybug's shoulder. "I don't want you to put yourself in danger." Ladybug felt Lila's arms go around her middle. She held onto Lila like she would never let go, squeezing her in her arms.

Beep.

And in a rush of sparkles, it was not Ladybug who was holding Lila, but Marinette.

"I'm sorry for yelling." She said quietly, and she moved her hands to Lila's shoulders as she moved back. Marinette wanted to look at Lila as she spoke, and she was filled with relief when Lila looked up at her.

"I'm sorry for crying all the time." Lila said, and then laughed as she wiped a tear off. "I just… I thought you didn't like me anymore. You looked so mad."

"Of course I still like you." Marinette replied sternly. "That doesn't mean I can't get worried when you're in danger."

"But-"

"No buts on that, Lila. I am grateful that you saved me; you were really cool. But it's not worth it to come out in front of an akuma like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Marinette explained, and Lila frowned. "Ladybug and Chat Noir can handle themselves." She continued.

"That's right. You should have some more faith in us." Tikki suddenly said, and Marinette realized she'd forgotten all about the kwami, who was sitting on the bench and watching the whole ordeal with amusement on her face.

When the super heroine had entered the dressing room and fixed Lila with _that_ look, it has for a moment felt like Lila's heart stopped. Like her blood had slowed to a sluggish crawl that stuck in her veins as she realized _Ladybug hates me_. For a moment, she had seen the red mask and forgot that behind it was a girl who liked fashion and holding hands, remembering only anger.

This was when the alarms in Lila's head went off, telling her to get out before she burst into tears. She had to go, she had to run away and never come back-

Suddenly Ladybug was just _there_ , stopped Lila from Lila. Ladybug's arms were holding Lila and her mask was pressed into Lila's shoulder. She was saying things into Lila's ear, hugging her tightly. Slowly Lila felt herself calm, and then she was clinging to Marinette and not Ladybug, relief flooding her system.

"I was worried about _you_ , Lila." Marinette was saying. How many times had Lila heard that? (the answer is uh, like zero.)

She didn't know what to say, but she knew that she wanted to stay there, wrapped up in Marinette's comforting arms. But when she felt Marinette's hands move to her shoulders and push her back slightly, she had to look up into Marinette's earnest blue eyes. Lila blinked rapidly to try and clear up the tears in her own.

"I'm sorry for crying all the time." She said, reached up to wipe away the wetness. "I just.. Thought you didn't like me anymore. You looked so mad."

But Marinette was quick to assuage her, explaining her anger.

"Of course I still like you. That doesn't mean I can't get worried when you're in danger." She said, and Lila's eyes widened.

"But-"

"No buts on that, Lila." Marinette stopped Lila from saying anymore again, and then she drew Lila back into a tight hug. "I am grateful that you saved me; you were really cool. But it's not worth it to come out in front of an akuma like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" At that, Lila felt Marinette squeeze her a little tighter. "Ladybug and Chat Noir can handle themselves."

Their conversation fell off for a brief moment as they remained together. Lila exhaled, thinking about what Marinette said. She wondered what would have happened if she hadn't helped Ladybug.

"That's right." A small voice suddenly said, and Lila leaned back, looking around. "You should have some more faith in us." It continued, and Lila realized that the small red creature she kept seeing was sitting on the bench and talking.

"Uh." Lila said.

"Hi, Lila." It greeted, smiling amiably.

"Tikki, please-" Marinette, blushing, reaching to take hold of the… kwami.

"Hold on." Tikki replied, dodging the hand before turning to face Lila again. "Could I speak to you?" She asked.

Lila blinked, still coming down from the angst of earlier, and then looked at Marinette, who looked equally confused.

"I… sure?" Lila answered, and Tikki smiled.

"Marinette, could you wait outside for a second?" The red creature turned her head to glance at the miraculous user, who made a baffled expression. This probably wasn't a common occurrence.

"Umm… ok…?" Marinette said, and then Lila was alone with the kwami.

"So…" She began, glancing away. "What are we talking about?"

Tikki cut straight to the chase.

"I know you think you need to impress Marinette. That's why you're acting like someone you're not." Lila's first instinct was to feel insulted, but she pushed that down in favor of listening to the tiny flying creature. She had always known of its existence but she'd never had much of an opportunity to actually talk to it. Her? Them? Lila was intrigued.

"Uh." She said, staring at the kwami, unsure of what to say. Then she realized that the creature appeared to be giving her advice. Lila had never expected to get an inspirational talk from a tiny flying red blob. And yet here she was.

"Look," Tikki tried, flying closer to Lila. "You don't need to keep acting like this."

"Acting like what? I act the way I am." She replied defensively, still feeling a bit attacked. Tikki sighed and flew closer, making her tone gentler.

"Lila, you think that your real self isn't good enough for Marinette." She told her, and Lila almost flinched, because out of everyone in the world, it happened to be the tiny flying creature that pierced through everything to the bullseye.

"I _am_ good enough." She argued. "I'm beautiful and I'm cool. I'm perfect for Marinette."

"You are." Tikki affirmed. "But are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"

Lila halted to a stop. Because she knew that she was always too aware of her personality around Marinette. That she was always making sure to act in the precisely right way. That she was trying to be the cool and suave Lila she had created to cover up the lonely girl who never had real friends.

"I want you to know that you're perfectly fine the way you are, Lila." Tikki said. "And I want you to know that Marinette thinks so, too."

Lila frowned, uncomfortable. She felt vulnerable.

"You might not agree with me." Tikki continued knowingly. "But it's important that you hear that."

Whatever Tikki was-an ancient being, a god, _whatever_ \- Lila wasn't so sure she agreed with it.


	23. Lies

Marinette had been meaning to have a talk to with Lila about her behavior. But somehow, for some reason, Lila seemed a little less like she was acting out a role and a little more like she was being herself. Perhaps Tikki's discussion with Lila had had something to do with it.

Many weeks had passed since that mall date, and it had been a sort of happy blur. Marinette didn't confront Alya about being in the mall despite cancelling, and could come up with the reason on her own. There was no way she was supposed to know about that, anyway, and she didn't want to put her identity at risk. But after that, she and Lila had gone on more dates and gotten closer. She'd hung out with Adrien and Nino some more (and had witnessed none other than Nathanaël beginning to draw Adrien a lot in his sketchbook), and she kept fighting akuma as Ladybug. Even Lila, despite what Marinette had said earlier, would still occasionally help out in battle when necessary.

But no matter how much Marinette scolded her for doing so, she couldn't help but love how they were fighting evil together. How Lila was becoming so much more than the pretentious and popular transfer student that she had been in the very beginning.

Marinette was happy until she realized something was off.

Lila was happy until her parents were talking about her again.

"We can't keep doing this to her. Lila needs a stable home to live in." She said.

"She was the one who wanted to come with us!" He answered, agitated. "We've been through this enough times!"

"She needs to go back to a boarding school." She fell back into her chair, massaging her temples. "We're not there for her enough."

"Our daughter is perfectly capable of this life." He replied stubbornly.

Of course, they didn't know that said daughter was just outside of the room, pressed against the wall and hearing every word. Lila supposed it was only a matter of time until something like this happened.

"It's not healthy!" She snapped, and Lila flinched from the volume of her voice. She felt her body heat up uncomfortably. _Shame_ , Lila could tell. She felt her heart beat in her ears as her skin prickled all over. Lila suddenly felt her head begin to pound as she slid down the wall, hands pressed to her temples. The air felt thick in her throat as the thoughts began.

 _I'm causing them trouble._

 _I'm a nuisance._

 _They don't deserve a daughter like me_.

Then her parent's voices were getting louder and Lila stood up to hurry away. Her legs moved on autopilot, carrying her away from the argument and to the safety of her bedroom as blood thrummed through her veins. This wasn't the first time Lila had heard this from her parents, and it likely wouldn't be the last.

In the past she tried to say something to stop it.

" _You don't have the worry about it, Mom. I can handle it, I promise." Lila tried to say. But when her mother turned her eyes on her, all Lila could see was a sort of betrayal in her eyes. That Lila was doing something wrong by agreeing with her father and not her mother._

Lila closed the door of her bedroom, feeling weak as she sank to the floor. Slowly the temperature eased, but the ache in her head lingered and the lump in her throat didn't move.

 _Stop._

Lila stared blankly at the ground.

 _You can't let this get to you. You can't be weak._

Lila squeezed her eyes shut and rested her head on a knee, exhaling slowly.

 _You'll be fine. You can deal with it._

She thought about her phone, tucked away in her pocket. She thought of texting Marinette, or of her grandmother. Or maybe Alya or Nino. Maybe even Adrien.

 _What does it say about you if you can't deal with your problems on your own? Everyone has problems. You can't burden them with your own._ A voice whispered in Lila's head.

 _I'm not weak_. Lila thought, curling her fingers into a fist. _I'm not._

 _Are you sure?_

It was only in occasional moments that Marinette noticed Lila was acting a little bit strange. Sometimes Marinette would be chatting happily with the gang, and she would reach out under the table to lightly touch Lila's hand. But Lila would should no sign of having noticed. Marinette would turn to look at Lila, but Lila would look like she was a thousand miles away.

"Are you okay?" Marinette would ask.

"Of course. I'm fine." Lila would snap back to reality, all traces of her previous uncharacteristic absentmindedness gone. Marinette noticed that Lila was getting better at lying around her again, too. The times when Lila would get embarrassed or bashful were getting scarcer. The moments when Lila's facade would fall and reveal the shy girl beneath were no more.

The Lila of the very beginning was back. Marinette felt like she was dating a fake.

But despite this change, life still progressed as normal. Marinette went to school, fought akuma, went out with her friends. She went on dates with Lila, she helped out at the bakery, she did her chores.

Marinette wondered if perhaps Lila stopped liking her. Maybe Lila didn't feel anymore affection towards her, and she was just fulfilling the role she currently had. That's why Marinette no longer saw the Lila she had come to adore. Because Lila didn't want to show her real self to someone she didn't like.

"Lila's probably having some problems of her own." Tikki said when Marinette confessed her worries. "Maybe her parents are fighting or something like that."

Marinette resolved to try and offer Lila her help.

Lila could tell the fights were becoming more frequent. Her parents spoke less and less unless they were arguing, and they rarely said anything to her. Sometimes Lila returned to the thought of her grandmother.

" _You can always talk to me."_ Silvia had said to her, with kind eyes and a warm hug.

But Lila wasn't sure how much she wanted to talk about this. Lila was a strong girl. She didn't have problems; she didn't need to talk about anything to anyone. She could handle things on her own. Lila wasn't weak. She didn't need any help.

 _I'm fine_ , Lila had to Marinette. She kept saying it to herself now.

Then Tikki was in her thoughts.

 _Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?_

"Are you sure you're alright?" Marinette asked, and Lila blinked.

She, Marinette, and the rest of the gang were together up on the Eiffel Tower. It was almost sundown, and Alya was keeping a sharp eye out for any Ladybug or Chat Noir activity. The day before, Alya had realized that a lot of superhero action went on near the tower, and convinced her friends that it would be a good idea to hang out on the viewing platform for a night.

"Yea," Lila replied, flashing Marinette a convincing smile. She wondered where her acting ability had gone during her first days with Marinette; now she was trying harder and succeeding at hiding her family problems from the girl. Marinette held Lila's gaze, and Lila matched it, although she felt a little uncomfortable.

"Would you tell me if something was wrong?" Marinette tried, squeezing Lila's hand.

"Of course I would, Mari." Lila returned, and squeezed back. And then her breath hitched.

" _You don't have to lie about that kind of stuff."_ Marinette had said once before.

 _I lied to her_.

 _You lied because you don't want to burden her. It's okay. This lie is okay._

 _I lied to her._

 _You had to do it._

"You know you can talk to me about anything." Marinette continued.

"I know."

Marinette managed a smile at Lila, and Lila suddenly realized she didn't know if it was fake or not. And then Marinette slid her hand out of Lila's and brought them around Lila's waist, resting her head gently against Lila's shoulder. Lila's mouth dried and then her blood was pulsing in her ears again. There was a rush in her head as her temperature went up, and she felt feverish. _I lied to her_.

Lila never felt like this when she lied in the past.

"I would, too." Marinette said, and Lila wondered if she was supposed to feel like she was doing something wrong. Like she was dirty inside. Like her hands were stained with something that would never wash off. Lila flexed her fingers, desperately wanting to be alone.

Marinette sighed in relief in the embrace. She wasn't certain if Lila was lying, but her words were so full of certainty and confidence that she was content to believe them for the moment. She moved back from the hug and took Lila's hand again, happy that she could hold it, and she looked around to see what her friends were up to.

Nino and Alya were leaning on the railing, looking out at the sunset. Brilliant orange light illuminated Alya as she tossed her hair back, laughing together with Nino. To the other side of Marinette and Lila, Adrien was talking with- Nathanaël? Marinette blinked, and realized that Nathanaël was showing Adrien a piece of paper. He must have drawn Adrien, Marinette thought, and giggled a little bit. Nathanaël might have developed a new crush.

"I think Nathanaël has a crush on Adrien." She whispered to Lila, who turned to look.

Adrien patted Nathanaël on the shoulder, his other hand holding the sketch. Marinette could see that there was a slight tinge of red to the tips of Nathanaël's ears.

"I think you're right." Lila said back, and Marinette felt like Lila was wearing the most genuine smile she had seen that day.

For the rest of that night, Marinette put aside her worries and thought that her life had reached a stage of perfection.


	24. Life Lesson

_Marinette brushed back her bangs, looking out into the Paris night. Situated on top of the Eiffel Tower, the view was unrivaled._

" _It's beautiful, isn't it?" A voice said, and Marinette turned to see none other than Adrien Agreste standing beside her. The two were alone. Moonlight touched their silhouettes gently, allowing each of them the pleasure of seeing the other._

 _Adrien still looked just as wonderful as ever. His eyes shined and his cheeks slightly reddened in the night. He turned to Marinette, a bright smile on his face that normally would have transformed her in a nervous wreck._

" _It is." Marinette answered truthfully, and Adrien turned back to cast his eyes on their city. But Marinette continued watching Adrien, watching how the wind tugged as his air and how his smile reached his eyes. She thought of how he had touched her heart. How she had wanted nothing more than to take his hand into hers. How she had wanted to press her lips to his._

 _How she didn't feel any of that anymore. How her desire for Adrien only extended to their keeping of a good friendship. Marinette turned away again, seeking the beauty of the tiny lights winking in the sky. Adrien was kind and helpful and he was a wonderful friend. But that was all he was to her. A friend, and nothing more. A dear friend, perhaps, but that was all._

" _It's beautiful, isn't it?" A different voice said from the other side, and Marinette's eyes widened as she looked to see who it was. And this time, it was a girl with long brown hair and brown skin. A girl dressed in orange and black with bracelets of all kinds wrapped around her wrist. Marinette felt her heart leap._

" _Lila!" She breathed and moved towards her. Marinette reached out a hand to take the other girl's._

 _She wasn't prepared for when her hand just phased through Lila's._

 _Like she was an illusion._

" _Lila?" Marinette called, worry striking through her voice as the girl suddenly became translucent. Lila looked down at herself, unsurprised as patches of her dissolved into nothingness. Marinette grabbed frantically at the rapidly disappearing body, trying to hold the dust-like particles together. "What's happening?"_

 _Lila didn't say anything, only sighed mournfully and turned her head back out to the view. Marinette froze, fear lancing through body as Lila's head began to vanish as well. She reached out one last time, trying to stop the process futilely. Her hand passed through whatever was left of Lila, grasping at nothing._

 _And Lila was gone._

Marinette gasped awake, fingers grasping at her comforter as her heart thumped in her ears. It was still dark outside, and not even Tikki was awake.

That dream was a bad omen if she ever did see one.

Marinette reached for her phone, her first thoughts going to Lila, but stopped midway. Lila was probably asleep. And even if she wasn't, Marinette wasn't sure anymore how much Lila would even care. It was just a dream.

Her hand fell back down on the comforter, and Marinette turned on her side and tried to go back to sleep.

Her parents were still fighting even in the dark of the night. Lila wanted it to stop, and if she could stop it she would go back down there. But she didn't think she could.

Lila just wanted to spend more time with her parents. That's why she came with them in the first place. But all their free time was spent in tension and in arguing. Now she was beginning to prefer when her parents were at work, just so she wouldn't have to deal with their fight. She wondered if they were fighting while working too.

After another day, Lila caved and she headed to her grandmother.

 _Lila: nonna is it alright if i come over_

Lila didn't have it in her to explain it over text.

 _Nonna Silvia: okay :)_

The thought of a warm and loving family member waiting for her was strong, and Lila picked up her pace. She wasn't sure how much she wanted to actually talk about her issues, but she was certain that just being around her grandma would make her feel better. The impressive apartment building came into view and Lila felt a small smile appear on her face.

Even just going around the spinning door lifted her mood, and Lila went around a whole time before going in, giggling all the while. The receptionist didn't notice, and there weren't many people in the lobby anyway.

Lila walked across the floor, her low heels clacking lightly on the tiles until she approached the elevator, which played soft music in her ascent. The higher Lila went, the calmer she felt and when she stepped out onto the rug of the hallway, she almost felt content.

When Lila looked up and saw her grandma standing in the hall like the first time she had come, a sudden rush went through her and fastened her pace.

And then she just broke. Whatever was left of her composed facade came off and it was just pure Lila, emotional troubles and parental problems altogether.

" _Nonna!_ " Lila called out and threw her arms out. Silvia took it in stride, enveloping Lila in what must have been the most-needed hug of Lila's life. She buried her face into Silvia's shoulder, and then the sobs came.

"Oh my." Silvia said gently, and then patted Lila's head as she trembled. "Let's get you inside, shall we?" She took hold of Lila's shoulders and guided her gently through the door into the living room. Lila couldn't look up; she was too embarrassed and still kind of crying.

Silvia helped Lila to the couch, where she tried her best to calm down and wipe her tears. She was relieved that she had not put on any makeup that day, otherwise it would have gotten ruined.

Lila felt the cushion next to her sink, and she saw that rather than sit away from her, her grandma had seated herself directly next to her, although still giving some space. Silvia held out a teacup to Lila, and Lila felt the steam gently brush her face. She took it in both hands, reveling in the warmth it gave to her palms.

"It's chamomile." Silvia's voice came through Lila's reverie. "It'll help calm you down."

Lila lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip. When she finally moved to put it down on the table, she noticed that there was a lot of stuff on the coffee table. Lila looked up, and realized that Silvia had taken out what must have been an entire pantry full of sweets and laid them out on the table. There were plates with rose-shaped arrangements of frosted cookies, textured glass bowls filled with wrapped chocolates and candies, trays of small iced cupcakes and

There was even a small chocolate tuxedo cake in the center. Lila blinked through the remaining tears, looking at the assortment of shock.

The lump in her throat began to form, but not from sadness.

"You don't like it?" Silvia suddenly said, voice full of worry.

 _How could someone do so much for her?_

Lila swallowed thickly, feeling tears brimming again.

"It's not that." She whispered hoarsely as she wiped at one eye, and then there was something white in her vision. Silvia had pressed a tissue to Lila's cheek, and Lila curled her fingers around it.

Lila had spent years - _years-_ with minimal affection from parents. Years. Years of waking up to empty houses. Years of containing her feelings inside so as not to bother her busy family. Years of feeling like a stranger to her own mother and father.

Meeting Marinette's parents had been jarring. Meeting Marinette's friends had been nearly overwhelming. And now, on a verge of breaking down, Silvia was almost too much. Lila looked up to meet Silvia's eyes.

"I… you've done so much for me." She managed to get out, and then she hiccupped. Lila blinked, surprised, and then she hiccupped again. And then there were tears together with the hiccups and Lila couldn't form words anymore.

Silvia drew Lila back into a comforting embrace and Lila wept, her chest hurting. _She_ was hurting. Dealing with her family problems and receiving this sort of care was taking a toll on her. She didn't think she deserved what her parents were doing but she didn't think she deserved this kind of affection. She only pretended she did. She wore her facade for a reason.

"You deserve more than this." Silvia said back, rubbing gentle circles on Lila's back. "I wish I could do more for you." Lila's eyes widened as she slowly stilled, calming down.

"I do?" She barely whispered, the words settling heavily in her mind as she looked up.

"You do." Silvia repeated, a warm smile creasing her laugh lines and touching her eyes.

"Why…?" Lila said, confusion tearing through her thoughts. Silvia's words and Lila's own opinions clashed, causing discord in her mind. No one had really ever treated her like she deserved much aside from Marinette. And even then, Lila had difficulty believing Marinette truly liked her without her facade. It was only in the past few weeks that she was accepting that Lila didn't need to be the cool Lila to keep Marinette as a friend.

As a girlfriend (as a gal pal).

"Because, Lila, you're a wonderful girl." Silvia said. "You're a kind and thoughtful girl with much to offer."

"Really?" Lila asked, barely believing it herself.

"Really." Silvia answered firmly.

When Lila was done crying, she took a cookie between two fingers, careful to not let the crumbs fall on the couch.

"Did you make these?" She asked Silvia, who blushed.

"Only some of them." Her grandma replied. "A lot of them were store bought."

Lila was thankful that Silvia kept such a huge supply of desserts in her apartment. She took a small bite of the cookie, finding that it was sweet and soft and gentle.

Some time passed as they made small talk while eating the snacks together, and Lila felt herself grow content. Silvia wasn't prying or asking about the issue, and that put Lila at ease. She wasn't sure how comfortable she would be talking about it, anyway. It would be Silvia's son she would be talking about, too.

But as Silvia was cutting the mouthwatering chocolate tuxedo cake into slices, Lila decided it would be best to tell at least part of her struggles.

Lila took the porcelain plate in her hands, looking down at the layered cake.

"Nonna… I've been having some problems with life. With family." She began, careful not to go too in depth just yet. "I think Marinette knows I'm not doing as well as I can be. I kind of want to tell her about it, but I also feel like I should be able to resolve this problem on my own." Lila confessed. "I don't want to burden her with my own problems. She has enough to deal with."

"Ah, I know exactly what you mean." Silva said, putting a hand on Lila's shoulder.

"You do?" Lila asked. "What should I do?"

Silvia smiled. "What do you think you should do?" She asked, and then put another slice on Lila's plate. Lila frowned, looking at the cake thoughtfully before lifting her fork.

"I… I want to tell her…" She said, trailing off. "But like I said, she has enough to deal with without me piling my own troubles on her."

"Why do you like Marinette so much?" Silvia then inquired, leaning back into the couch. Lila almost jumped, startled by the change in direction. But she trusted in what Silvia said, so she answered.

"I… She lets me be myself around her. She's so kind and she accepts me for who I am." Lila said, red coming to her cheeks.

"If you show your true self to her, then why not show your troubles as well?" Silvia said. "You know about hers, don't you?"

Lila blinked, clarity coming to her. She did know. About Ladybug, and the fighting she did everyday.

"Marinette can't come to know the real you unless you show her every side." Silvia continued. "And you don't have to now, if it makes you uncomfortable. But I personally believe it's important to trust your partner with your worries."

Lila let the wise words flow through her, and she thought about them.

"Oh." she said meekly.

As the day drew on and Silvia and Lila spent time together, Lila decided that she would do it.

 _I'll talk to her._


	25. The Beginning of the End

Marinette was still kind of jarred from her dream from before. She wondered if it meant Lila was liking her less and less. She wondered if Lila would be leaving her.

Maybe she hadn't been a good enough girlfriend. Maybe Lila didn't like having to deal with the trouble of having Ladybug as a partner. Again she picked up her phone and she stared uncertainly at the screen.

Sometimes she texted Lila right away.

But she only put the phone back down. She didn't know what to do. Lila kept saying she was fine whenever Marinette asked. Would she be bothering Lila if she texted her?

Maybe they needed another date.

"What's wrong?" Tikki asked as Marinette paced back and forth, and Marinette looked up at the kwami sadly.

"I'm worried that Lila's hiding something from me." She confessed. "Or that she doesn't like me anymore."

"Perhaps you should talk to her." Tikki suggested, flying over to Marinette.

"But everytime I ask if anything's wrong, she says she's fine. But I think she isn't. She's acting differently and she's speaking less to me." Marinette said. "It's hopeless."

"Well," Tikki said thoughtfully, "you can't force her to share her problems. But maybe you should make it clear that you'll always be there for her when she wants to talk about it. That might encourage her to open up."

"What if-" Marinette broke off, feeling her heart lurch as she thought about it. "What if she wants to break up?"

And it was out.

"Oh, Marinette!" Tikki exclaimed, moving closer, the sympathy clear in her voice. Marinette felt embarrassed just hearing it, and she put her hands to cover her face.

"Hey, it's alright to be worried." Tikki said, putting a hand (flipper?) to Marinette's knuckle. "But I'm sure that's not the case." She continued reassuringly.

"How can you be so sure?" Marinette asked, unconvinced as she peeked between her fingers. Tikki smiled up at her.

"I haven't steered you wrong before, have I?" Tikki said. "I just have a hunch."

Marinette felt a bit more at ease at that.

When Lila had gone to sleep, she had done so with resolve to talk to Marinette the next day, and she had been able to go to sleep with confidence.

But this morning, as she rose to confront the alarm on her phone, she was shaken with the beginnings of uncertainty.

 _What if she thinks I'm so unreliable that I can't even handle my own problems?_ _How do I even bring it up?_

But Lila knew that she had to do it soon. Since meeting Marinette, her facade had come and gone in phases. First it was hard to keep it up because of her suspicions about her being Ladybug. And then sometimes she was torn between being so at ease with Marinette that she didn't need to act, and wanting to impress to Marinette so much that she absolutely had to. She had let the facade fall away for several weeks and for a moment it seemed like it would never come back.

And then the bigger fights had started and the facade returned with a ferocity. Lila wanted to hide her own troubles and the best way she could protect herself was to return to the Lila that had arrived at Paris on the very first day.

But it was had been and will always be difficult to lie around Marinette. Her mask might come off again, but not in a single, intact piece as it would before. Lila passed in front of her mirror.

This time, it was crumbling to pieces. Lila could tell the cracks were there. She reached up to her face with her fingers, touching her cheek lightly. There was only so much she could contain in herself. And she would rather she told Marinette before the small pieces fell away, revealing the wreckage that lay behind. Before she just broke down.

 _It's important to trust your partner with your worries._

Silvia's words played in her mind. Lila trusted them. She just hoped that the line between sharing worries and burdening someone else wasn't so thin. She was still scared she might just be annoying Marinette.

 _I need to trust Marinette, too_. Lila thought to herself. She had to trust in Silvia's words, and she needed to trust in Marinette.

 _Marinette deserves to know_ , Lila added to her mantra as she pulled on her jacket.

She wished she had someone here she could talk to. But as the morning light slipped through the shades and cast lines on Lila's bedroom floor, she was alone.

Marinette was feeling anxious as she walked alongside Alya to school. She was going to try and get Lila to open up to her finally. She didn't know how it would go, how Lila would react, if Lila would even say anything.

She hoped that at least she would take the mask off again.

"Yeah, she's acting weird again." Alya commented as they walked up the steps. "You're not the only one that noticed."

"I'm going to try and find out why today." Marinette said. "I think she might be having some problems."

"Maybe you should ask her on another date." Alya suggested, a glint in her eye. "Maybe you should be alone somewhere to talk about it. But you have to text me the whole time."

"Not if you're going to spy on us from afar." Marinette said sternly, before remembering she wasn't supposed to know about that.

"What? Me?" Alya said in surprise. "How did- I mean, why would I do that?" She recovered, making a face.

"Uh-Well!" Marinette spluttered before words came to her. "It just seems like something you would do." She finally said sheepishly.

"How rude." Alya finally replied, a little affronted, and she laughed.

Marinette laughed back, feeling a little more at ease as she joked around with Alya.

"Oh! Speak of the devil!" Alya suddenly exclaimed, and for a second Marinette was weeks away, standing in the same spot as she looked up at a girl with long brown hair, thinking how she should befriend her.

And then she was back in the present.

"Go get her." Alya whispered, and lightly pushed Marinette forward. "This is probably something you should do without me, so I'll go on ahead." She continued, and Marinette suddenly was terrified at the prospect of confrontation alone. Too many times she had tried to talk to Lila about things and she started crying. Once she was akumatized, so that was also kind of awkward.

"Wait! Don't go!" She gasped out as Alya winked and started to rush up the stairs at in inhuman speed. Marinette stretched out her hand in a fruitless attempt to keep Alya with her, but the girl walked past Lila and disappeared into the school. At the sound of Marinette's voice, Lila turned from the top of the stairs to see her and Marinette froze, heart racing.

 _What do I say? How do I bring it up?_ She thought, no words coming from her mouth as she locked eyes with Lila. Now that she had something fairly serious to talk about, she didn't know how to go about it.

Lila was the first to break the silence, and she put on her model-esque smile as she extended a hand to touch Marinette's.

"Hey, Marinette." Lila said, and Marinette knew that the mask was up by the tone of that voice. Lila's fingers wrapped gently around Marinette's wrist and pulled her up the steps.

"Hi, Lila." Marinette managed to say, mind still racing with how to bring it up. A few weeks ago Marinette might have blushed, but she was so accustomed to this facade that it no longer fazed her.

She wished Lila would just be herself.

As she was brought close to Lila, Marinette's eyebrows came together in concern. The two walked through the school courtyard side by side, their hands swinging separately until Lila worked her fingers through Marinette's.

It was just like routine now. An image Lila kept up. They held hands all the time but recently it felt like Lila was just maintaining the act. Like she was doing it out of obligation.

It didn't feel like anything. They walked in silence.

Marinette didn't want to break the perfection they upheld by talking about the _thing_. But she knew she had to. She hoped Lila wouldn't get annoyed by her continuous asking, or by breaking up the routine.

Too soon they reached the locker room, and Marinette couldn't find a time to bring it up. As she looked through her own locker, people came and went, talking to her and Lila and preventing any suitable moment to talk.

It wasn't too long before Marinette found herself parting ways with Lila and sitting next to Alya in homeroom.

"Did you talk?" Alya asked.

"No…" Marinette answered glumly. "There wasn't a good time." She awaited Alya's disappointment, but there was none.

"Hmm," Alya said thoughtfully, "maybe you can find a time during lunch. It _is_ two hours."

"You're right." Marinette decided.

"Hey." Alya said. "If you're really having trouble talking about it, I can ask Lila about it." She offered, and Marinette wondered how she could have such a wonderful friend.

"Really?" She asked in surprise, and Alya nodded. But Marinette thought twice. "That's alright." Marinette declined, smiling, "I appreciate it, but this _is_ something I should do myself."

And then that her new resolve.

She would do it at lunch,

Lila wasn't sure when she would open up to Marinette, but she thought that perhaps she could ask to speak with her privately during lunch. She also considered talking about it to the whole gang, but she wasn't sure she could handle that. Maybe after she first confessed to Marinette.

She was getting more agitated over the whole thing. Marinette was unaffected by everything Lila did that morning; would she even care about what Lila had to say?

 _No_ , Lila thought. _Trust in Nonna. Trust in Marinette_.

She couldn't let self-doubt get in the way. She had to talk to Marinette about it.

As she walked to the lunch table that she, Alya, Marinette, Adrien and Nino always frequented, she thought about what to say.

 _I can do this. I am Lila. I'm strong. I'm not weak._ Lila mentally said as she looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers. She stood by the table, waiting for the others to come. _I can do this_.  
Lila looked up and then she saw her. Marinette was exiting her class. Beautiful, sweet Marinette, side by side with Alya as they made their way here. The girl who deserved to know what was going on with her girlfriend.

 _Who deserved someone better than Lila_. Her eyes widened.

Lila tried to crush the self-doubt before it was too much. There used to be much more, in the past. Self-doubt, that is. Uncertainty, self-hatred, all those rolled up into an emotional wreck that hid itself behind a facade. Before Paris. Before Silvia.

Before Marinette.

She didn't want it back. She didn't want to keep wearing a mask like this. Lila wanted to open up to Marinette. She wanted to be able to share things with Marinette. But she was worried that Marinette would be repulsed by what she saw. That she wouldn't care. That she would be annoyed with Lila.

 _Trust in Marinette_.

Right. Yes. She had to.

"Marinette!" Lila called out, lifting the mask from her head. She walked quickly over, determined to do it before she lost her nerve.

"Hey!" Marinette greeted as she approached, and Lila couldn't help but notice that for some reason Marinette was more excited than before.

Maybe Marinette noticed that Lila had taken off the mask.

"Could we-" Lila began, but she was interrupted by a vibration in her pocket, accompanied by a short ringtone.

Lila wouldn't have let anything stop her from talking to Marinette, but someone calling her phone could only mean her parents were trying to contact her. And ignoring their calls was not something you did.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this. It's my parents." Lila said, regret in her voice as she pulled out her phone. "I'll talk to you later."

Lila hurried to an empty corner of the courtyard before picking up the phone.

"Mom?" She asked quietly, holding the phone close to her face.

"Lila? You're coming home early. I already called the principal." A stern voice came from the receiver.

"What?" Lila exclaimed, incredulous. "Why?"

"I know this sort of life has been stressful for you, Lila." Her mother began, and the fear came with it. "Your father finally understood what I've been saying all this time."

Lila swallowed thickly, dreading what was coming next.

"We're sending you back to Italy, Lila. You're going home."

Lila felt something heavy on her tongue. It was the lump in her throat. It came back with a vengeance. Self-doubt, self-hatred, uncertainty, self-blame.

 _I wasn't a good enough daughter. They couldn't stand taking me around. They don't want me around._

"Isn't that great?" Lila's mom continued.

Lila was leaving. She was leaving Paris. She was leaving her friends, her school. She was leaving Marinette.

The air weighed heavily on Lila's shoulders as she began to shake, a hand coming to cover her mouth. Her vision blurred as she clutched the phone tightly.

"Lila?" The voice asked, and Lila swallowed a sob.

"Yes, I'm here." She whispered hoarsely, and then the curtains were opening. She had a role to play. Lila let the mask fall back into place.

"Did you hear what I said?" Her mom asked, and Lila forced the lump in her throat away.

"Yes, I'm going back to Italy." She repeated calmly. The spotlight was on her, the audience was watching. She had a role to play.

But as those words left her mouth, she heard a gasp behind her.

When Lila turned around to see Marinette standing a few feet away, she didn't know she could feel a pain like this.

"Come home so we can discuss the preparations, Lila. I'll see you soon." Lila's mom finished, and then hung up without hearing Lila say goodbye.

"Lila…" Marinette said, eyes full of concern and surprise. "I- Are you okay?" She asked, and Lila stared at her, realizing that tears had fallen from her eyes. She reached up and wiped them away, blinking away the next ones as she fixed her mask.

"I'm fine." Lila said, in the most unconvincing lie she had ever said.

She was lying right to Marinette's face. And she knew that Marinette could tell.

Marinette made a pained expression at those words, hurt clear in her eyes.

"Why…?" Marinette said softly, and then Lila's breath hitched. She hurt Marinette. Marinette was upset. Marinette was angry.

Marinette deserved someone better.

Lila lied, and that hurt Marinette.

That was all Lila ever did, wasn't it? Lie, deceive and trick people into thinking she was someone she wasn't. That's all she was. That's all she ever would be.

The tears were coming again, faster and harder than ever before, but she turned away from the only girl who could stop them.

"I'm sorry." She gasped out, pressing her sleeve to her eyes.

And then, she pushed past Marinette, running out of the school and down the steps and she was gone.

 **im hosting lilanette week on tumblr! come check it out at .com**

 **come participate and draw, write, or make any kind of lilanette (or volpinette, lilabug, or ladypina)**

 **and the end is rapidly approaching! only a couple more chapters to go! or i might make one gigantic chapter. idk. we'll see. i will be posting the final chapter on the saturday of the lilanette week.**


	26. Game Over

hi this chapter features an akumasona by superethanworld: post/143491778528/akumasonas-heres-my-civilian-id-and-revised

"I'm going to wait for her." Marinette said to Alya as they put their bags down next to their chairs. "When she's done with her call, I'll try to talk to her." She decided, and Alya nodded.

"Sounds good. I'll stay here." She replied, and sat down to await Nino and Adrien, who despite Chloe's rants and ravings, consistently hung out around them. Marinette smiled at Alya, and then turned to move towards Lila, who was standing in a corner of the courtyard with one hand holding her phone to her ear while the other was pressed against her other ear.

Marinette turned away, waiting for the call to be over.

Hopefully she could get Lila to open up, and they could talk about whatever was wrong. They could better their relationship and maybe Lila would take off her mask and be herself.

Just then Marinette caught a few words.

"Yes, I'm going back to Italy." Lila's voice was saying brokenly. Marinette gasped, eyes widening as she turned to look behind at Lila, who was facing away from her.

Lila was leaving?

At the sound of Marinette's breath, Lila turned around, her hand falling to her side.

"Lila…" Marinette began, seeing nothing but sadness in Lila's face. "I- Are you okay?" She asked, taking a few steps forward and wanting nothing more than to take Lila in her arms and just _hold_ her for a bit.

Lila wiped at her eyes, and Marinette realized that she had shed some tears.

"I'm fine." Lila said.

Marinette's felt the words like they were knives, twisting in her gut. It would be obvious to anyone that she was lying.

"Why…?" She breathed, looking down at the ground. _You don't have to lie to me. You can talk to me_.

But then something shoved her side, and Marinette jumped, seeing that Lila had pushed her aside and ran.

"Lila!" Marinette called, worry striking her to her core as she reached out a hand. But Lila was fast, and she was gone in seconds. Her last words echoed in her ears as her heart thumped.

Lila had said _I'm sorry_.

She was always running away from her problems. She'd leave unresolved fights behind as she boarded planes that took her to another country. She'd lock herself in her room whenever something went bad with her parents. She'd run away the moment her lies would shown to be false. She'd run when she'd realized Marinette was Ladybug. She would run, and she wouldn't stop until she was far enough away from it that it wouldn't matter anymore.

But no matter how hard she moved her legs or how much distance she covered, it still hurt. Everything was crumbling. Everything was falling down around her. Lila finally ducked into an alley, sinking down to her knees as she shook, heaving breaths.

She'd known she'd be leaving Paris; she never stayed in one place for too long. But her family had only been there for a little while, and she certainly hadn't expected being put back in boarding school. She'd thought that she'd have more time with Marinette. With Alya and Nino and Adrien. With her friends.

It hurt, it crushed her. She'd finally begun to change. She'd finally started to become someone she liked. Someone who didn't need to wear a mask. But with her parents fighting and the ultimate decision to send her back, it was like none of that mattered.

 _It's my fault they were fighting_ , Lila realized. _This is my punishment; I deserve this_. She sobbed as she curled over in on herself. Marinette's hurt face flashed in her mind, and she knew that that had been her fault, too.

Everything was her fault. She deserved this.

 _Come home_.

Lila blinked, remembering what she had to do. She always had to do what her parents said. She slowly got to her feet, bracing herself against the wall as she choked back tears.

 _I have to pack. I have to get home_ , she repeated in an attempt to calm down. Well, on the bright side, at least if she left soon, she could avoid seeing Marinette and everyone else and thus avoid painful goodbyes. She didn't want to go explain everything; she could just leave it behind and it wouldn't matter anymore. She just had to avoid all possible contact with the only people who ever really liked her.

Easy.

Lila felt her heart wrench and she clutched at her chest, forcing her breaths to slow down. _You can deal with it. No biggie_.

She just never had to see Marinette ever again.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered how negative emotions attracted akuma, but she dismissed it because she'd been turned twice and the second time had been a waste of Hawkmoth's energy.

Lila took a few unsteady steps. She wanted Marinette to come find her and tell her it would be okay. She scoffed, remembering Marinette's face when she left.

 _She probably hates me now_.

Lila was leaving anyway, it's not like it mattered.

Just as she was about step foot outside of the alley, something blue dropped down in front of her and Lila jumped back, stumbling as she tripped. Her phone fell from her hands to the cement. She hit the ground and she grimaced as she looked up, squinting at the silhouette.

"Found her." A voice said, and Lila sensed she was in danger. She shuffled backwards, but a blue hand closed around her wrist and yanked her up to a standing position. Here, she could see the person clearly.

He was obviously someone who'd been akumatized, with a dark blue butterfly shape on his face. The young man wore an outfit striped with dark and light blue colors and had gauntlets on both wrists, and he had on a blue hat that closely resembled the hat of a fairly famous video game protagonist.

"What do you want?" Lila spat, yanking her arm out of the blue grasp.

The person didn't reply, and Lila watched as the purple outline of a butterfly appear around his face. He was communicating with Hawkmoth, Lila could tell.

She thought it might be best to get out of there, before Ladybug showed up. The man looked down as he talked to Hawkmoth, studying the purple gauntlet on one of his hands. Lila bit her lip and glanced behind her. This alley was mercifully not a dead end, and opened up to another street. One look at the akuma told her he was occupied with talking with Hawkmoth, so she steeled her nerve and _ran_ (again).

Just then she heard a laugh, and all of a sudden a force started slowing her down. Lila felt dread pierce her as she glanced behind her. The man had lifted his left arm, and purple cannon on his wrist was pointed towards her.

And it was pulling her in.

Lila turned back around, moving harder and looking for something to hold on but there was nothing. Air rushed past her and she watched as leaves flew towards the akuma. His gauntlet was functioning as some sort of vacuum, pulling everything towards him.

"I suppose it's admirable that you tried to escape." Lila heard over the gusts of wind, and then her feet lost purchase on the ground and she felt herself fly backwards. Just then the pull stopped, and she dropped hard onto the ground at the foot of the akumatized man. "But it's not easy to escape Game Over." He laughed again, venom in his voice as Lila scrambled to get up.

"What do you want with me?" Lila demanded again, and this time she managed to hide the terror in her voice. She _was_ good at lying, just not around a certain Chinese girl. She glared up at the man, hands closed into fists.

"Well," Game Over began, clearly unafraid, one hand coming to rest on his hip, "You know Ladybug, don't you?"

Marinette hurried to the exit, determined to follow Lila. But as she looked outside amongst the hundreds of students leaving the building to have lunch at home, Lila was lost. There were people everywhere and all in motion and it was hard to find Lila in the crowd.

Her heart thudded as she looked left and right, blood pounding in her ears. Lila looked like she was broken, and it hurt her heart to see it. How much suffering was Lila going through that Marinette didn't know about? And why was she leaving Paris so soon? Going back to Italy?

Questions swam through her mind as she continued her search, sweeping her eyes across the crowds of people that walked about. But as time passed, she knew it was useless.

Just then a touch on her shoulder brought her back.

"Marinette?" Alya asked, concern clear in her voice.

"She's gone." Marinette said, staring hard outside. "Lila. She ran outside."

"What?" Alya said in surprise. "What happened?"

Marinette bit her lip. It wasn't exactly her business to say what she'd overheard.

"She was talking to her parents about something. And she- she was crying." Marinette's shoulders sagged as she looked away from the daylight to Alya's eyes.

"She just ran out like that?" Alya repeated, and she too took a moment to look outside. Marinette's hand pushed into her pocket and she drew out her phone.

"I'll call her." Marinette said, typing in her passcode and then pulling up Lila's contact.

Hearing the phone ring for so long had never felt so heartbreaking.

"Did she pick up?" Alya asked, and Marinette shook her head solemnly.

"I'll go look for her," Marinette said, moving forward.

"Hold on." Alya stopped her, grabbing her hand. "You don't even know where she is right now."

"But I can't just do nothing!" Marinette burst out. She knew something was wrong. She knew Lila needed someone. Something was going on in her home and if Lila wasn't sharing anything with her, she might not have been sharing with anyone at all. The impression she had of her family was that her parents were very busy and always working, and never there for her.

"I'm not telling you to do nothing," Alya huffed, tightening her grip a little. "Think rationally. She might not pick up calls, but we can all text her. We can also ask if anyone knows her address and visit her house. If her parents were the ones calling, they were most likely asking her to come home."

Marinette stared at her friend, and then sighed.

"I'm sorry for yelling. I'm just worried," She said quietly.

"I know. I'm worried, too," Alya returned, letting go of Marinette's hand and patting her shoulder. "But she's most likely okay."

Marinette actually did know where Lila lived, but the obvious thought hadn't crossed her mind until Alya had said it to her face. She recalled that once, she had brought Lila home as Ladybug. There had been an akuma attack at night, and she hadn't wanted Lila to walk home alone, since they were pretty far and it was very dark.

"Only on the roof." Lila finally complied, huffing as Ladybug scooped her up in her arms. Ladybug had laughed as she leaped from roof to roof, traveling short leaps that didn't require her yoyo. They soared through the air, flying above Paris as Lila held on for dear life. Laughing together, smiling, having fun. Ladybug setting Lila down on her balcony and giving her a goodbye kiss.

She wasn't going to have that anymore.

Marinette gazed outside again, thinking. Going to Lila's house and interrupting what was probably a very important discussion in the family didn't sound ideal. Had Lila even gone to her house? It didn't look like Lila was leaving to go on a walk home. It looked like she wanted to escape. To escape everything. But where else could she have gone?

Lila might even get akumatized again, what with the despair that had colored her face.

"I think I have her address," Marinette finally said, a plan forming in her mind. As long as she could confirm that Lila was safely at home, she could hold off on freaking out over what she'd heard over the phone until the day after, or until Lila contacted her. Since lunch had just started, she did have time to go out, at least for a bit.

She could go visit the house under the guise of dropping off homework (at least, if Lila didn't contact her or any of her friends).

"Let's go see, then," Alya said, relief in her voice.

"I think we should check different places, though. We'll cover more ground." Marinette shook her head. If by chance Lila did get akumatized, it would be difficult to get away from Alya to transform.

"Do you think she might go to the park? Or something?" Alya suggested in agreement.

"Maybe." Marinette shrugged.

"I'll tell the others; they can help us out too," Alya added before turning to go back to the lunch table.

"Okay."


	27. Cliche

"It won't work." Lila argued, holding back her tears. In the darkness of the warehouse, Lila glared up at her captor. She had been tied to a rusted, foldable metal chair and placed under a convenient ray of sunlight that filtered in through the dusty window.

"Oh? And why is that?" Game Over asked, entirely unconvinced as he smirked.

"She hates me. She would never come save me." Lila smiled bitterly at the akuma, both glad that she spared Marinette and broken that she wouldn't see Ladybug. Why would she come rescue her now?

"You don't say that in this video." Game Over replied, brandishing his purple 3DS, which was open on the browser and also plugged into the wall. It was most likely the akumatized item.

"A 3DS?" Lila exclaimed, temporarily forgetting her pain and sadness. "What's your friend code? Do you have the latest Pokemon game?"

" _Duh!_ Of course I do. And my friend code is seven-eight- wait, seriously?" Game Over looked at her in disbelief.

"Oh, the video, right." Lila leaned forward (as much as she could tied to a chair), and saw herself weeks ago on the Ladyblog, claiming that she and Ladybug were close friends. That felt like ages ago.

"And you've been seen plenty of times during past akuma attacks, helping her out." Game Over continued, before taking the device back. "Obviously you're important to her. And that's why trading you for the Miraculouses is going to work."

The man took a moment to throw his head back and laugh. The noise echoed ominously in the big, empty room. Lila winced at the sound, looking away.

"It's different now," She whispered.

"Pardon?" Game Over looked over at her from his 3DS.

"I said it's different now!" Lila shouted, actually causing Game Over to step back in surprise. She clenched her fists. "We had a fight. And now she hates me." She said quietly. Lila felt the lump in her throat again; that choking, painful mountain at the back of her mouth that ached every time she swallowed. And she was going to be leaving Marinette behind. She was going to be leaving Paris behind.

"That doesn't matter that much," Game Over simply said in response, with nothing but amusement in his voice, "She still has a duty to protect the citizens of Paris. And I can put you in just enough danger to bring her here."

His last few words hung in the silence as Lila's eyes widened.

"I'm not afraid of you." She spat, anger beginning to replace her sadness.

"Didn't you learn your lesson about lying?" Game Over retorted, his smile growing larger.

Lila stiffened, his voice like a slap to the face. She looked away, not meeting his gaze.

"I know you're Volpina. And frankly, Hawkmoth and I don't have much of a problem turning you back into her if you don't cooperate." Game Over added, almost indifferently as he approached her. Lila kept looking away, calming herself down until he suddenly thrust something under her face.

Inside the glass jar he held was a fluttering black butterfly. Lila's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the creature. Its black wings glowed with the deadly purple, and her focus shifted from the akuma to her reflection in the glass. Lila could tell she looked horrified.

She looked from the akuma to Game Over, swallowing her fear down.

"Hawkmoth made it earlier when you were feeling a little upset. But instead of sending it out, he gave it to me. I mean, I don't understand why threatening you with this would make you cooperate since being given this power is the best thing in the world. But Hawkmoth tells me you wouldn't want it anywhere near you."

Being infected twice had been bad enough. Lila didn't think she could stand a third. But she narrowed her eyes. On the other hand, she'd fought her way out of the second akumatization with a little encouragement. She might not be as affected by another. She might be able to even fight her way back out again.

But she didn't comment on it. Slowly she felt her fear drain away. At least she had something in her favor.

"So how are you planning on luring Ladybug here?" Lila asked instead, pretending to be sufficiently fearful. While she didn't think she deserved being rescued, it was true Ladybug had a duty to the citizens of the Paris, so it was likely she would come. But a tiny part of her thought that Marinette was so upset that she wouldn't.

Game Over straightened and pocketed the akuma, smiling.

"Hawkmoth gave me my powers for a reason. There's a certain girl who deserves to be punished for what she did to me. I'm sure Ladybug will notice if there's a supervillain wreaking havoc around town. I'll send her a message that way," He said, and then he smirked as he curled his fingers into a menacing fist.

Game Over turned to leave, but then he cast one last glance at Lila.

"I wouldn't try to escape if I were you, by the way. All of the exits have been trapped," He said in a downright deadly voice, and then he picked up his 3DS and left.

Marinette hurried down the road, purse clutched in her hand. If she could just hide, she could transform into Ladybug and travel much faster. Alya and the others split up to check other places after none of them received any response from Lila. Adrien stayed at the school in case she returned for classes later.

She ducked into an alley and opened her purse.

"Tikki, let's go. Transform me!" She called out as the kwami flew out of the small bag. Seconds passed and Marinette was gone; Ladybug had entered the world and was ready to move.

But just as she took her yoyo in hand, she spied something on the ground.

Lila's phone. Ladybug's eyes widened as countless possibilities rushed through her head, all of them echoing the same sentiment: _Lila was in danger_. She bent over and picked up the orange phone, looking at its front and back.

It was definitely Lila's.

Maybe she _had_ been akumatized again. Ladybug's lip trembled for a second, but it stopped immediately.

Just then something passed over her in the sky. Ladybug looked up, but it had already gone. She frowned, and then leaped out of the alley onto the building. Ladybug looked all around, expecting to see Volpina somewhere.

But instead, all she could see was a blue figure jumping from rooftop to rooftop, all the way back to the school.

Ladybug looked from the phone to the figure. She wanted to go find Lila, but it was imperative that she go fight the akuma. And she had no idea where Lila was, and that frustrated her. Ladybug let out a sigh of exasperation, and then she followed the akuma back to the school. Maybe it had something to do with Lila's disappearance. First the call, and now this? What was happening to Lila?

By the time Ladybug made it back to the school, Chat Noir was already there, defending none other than Chloe Bourgeois (how predictable) from the blue akuma.

"Just who I wanted to see." The blue akuma said as he let a torrent of fireballs out from a cannon on his arm. Chat Noir spun his staff, deflecting all of the shots from hitting the blonde girl behind him. Part of her ponytail had been singed off.

"You wanted to see Ladybug but not me?" Chat Noir asked, offended.

"Who's this?" Ladybug asked as she touched down next to him, brandishing her yoyo threateningly.

"It's Game Over." The akuma said, mildly amused as he reached up to touch his cap. As he lifted it off his head, Ladybug and Chat Noir gripped their weapons tighter and moved to attack. But the akuma merely stepped backwards and let a yellow cloth fall out of the hat, which then wrapped itself around him like a cape. The hat came back down on his head, and then Game Over was airborne, avoiding the strikes from Ladybug's yoyo. It seemed like the cap gave him some of his powers.

"Why isn't he attacking?" Chat Noir asked discreetly to Ladybug.

"I don't know," Ladybug replied and then turned to Chloe. "Get out of here, Chloe!"

That was thankfully enough to send Chloe sprinting away, lest the rest of her hair got burned off.

"Where do you think the akuma is? The hat?" Chat whispered as the two of them measured up their opponent.

"I'm right here," Game Over said, arching an eyebrow as he put his hands on his hips. "And I've got a message for you, Ladybug."

"Me?" She asked, not lowering her weapon.

"For your ears only," Game Over clarified, and shot a pointed look at Chat Noir. "I'm not coming down until he's out of the picture."

"Excuse me?" Chat said. "Of course not. This is obviously a trap."

"It's about a certain girl." The akuma continued, still floating. _Lila!_ Ladybug's heart soared.

"Chat, stay back," Ladybug told him.

"My lady, you can't be serious," Chat deadpanned, incredulous. Ladybug sighed, and gave him a look.

"Trust me," She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know what I'm doing."

Chat Noir went through a series of complicated expressions before finally settling on a resigned look, and he backed up to the door, although he kept his staff up. Ladybug nodded to him, and then she approached Game Over as she settled her yoyo around her middle.

"Smart," Game Over commented as he slowly floated downward in front of her. Ladybug looked hard at him, trying to figure out exactly which item was akumatized.

"Where is she?" She demanded.

"She's safe," Game Over replied simply, folding his cannon-like arms. "Hawkmoth and I, we're willing to give her back to you. Of course, in exchange for your Miraculous. Chat Noir's, as well."

Ladybug stared hard at him.

"Obviously I don't expect you to give it to me now. I'll tell you where she is and we can trade there."

"You think I believe you're going to do a fair trade?" She scoffed in response. Game Over shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not. But either way, _she_ ' _s_ going to get the short end of the stick if you don't show up. My fire doesn't just burn hair, you know," Game Over shot back, clearly unintimidated. Ladybug's eyes narrowed and her fingers twitched as they reached for her yoyo.

"If I were you, I wouldn't do anything I'd regret," The akuma said lowly. "After all, I'm the only one who knows her location. Without me, akuma and all, you'll never find her."

Ladybug measured her options, hand still hovering above her yoyo.

"Are you guys like, done yet?" Chat Noir's voice came from the opening.

"I'll be sending you the location soon. Don't bring Chat Noir, only his Miraculous, or else she'll suffer the consequences," Game Over finally said before giving Ladybug a knowing smirk. With that, he stepped back and then jumped up and was gone. Ladybug grinded her teeth, anger beginning to course through her body.

Footsteps came to a halt behind her.

"What was that? You let him get away!" Chat Noir exclaimed, annoyance clear in his voice.

"He's got a hostage," Ladybug said, trying to control herself as her hand settled heavily on her yoyo.

"What?" Chat Noir blinked, the irritation gone from his voice. "Who?"

"A civilian. A friend of mine. He wants me to trade my Miraculous for her. Our Miraculouses," Ladybug explained, sighing heavily. She put a hand to forehead as she thought. "He said to go alone."

"No!" Chat Noir said immediately. "That's even more of a trap than just talking to you!"

"I know," Ladybug said, her hand dropping to her side.

"You're not," Chat Noir's shoulders sagged in disbelief, "You're not doing it, are you?"

"Have a little more faith in me, Chat," Ladybug gave him a small smile. "I'll go once he sends me the location. You'll be able to see where I am on your staff's locater, and you can stay up on the rooftops. I'll keep him busy by talking. Maybe you can get Lila while he's distracted, and then we can fight him once she's safe."

"It's Lila?" Chat Noir asked, and Ladybug realized she'd let the name slip.

"Yea, the girl who helps us out from time to time." She replied. She wondered how Lila was doing. How much did Marinette not know? And how much was Lila suffering right now? It worried her.

A touch on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

"Don't worry, we'll save her." Chat Noir said with confidence, and Ladybug found she could trust him.


	28. Failure

Fortunately for Lila, only her torso had been tied to the chair, so she _was_ able to stand up. She just had a chair on her back.

She wasn't about to wait for rescue. Plus, her parents would slaughter her the later she came home. She pushed aside thoughts about leaving France and focused on escaping.

Lila shuffled around, examining the exits. She didn't know how true it was that Game Over had trapped them all. If he did, then his powers were extremely extensive and he would be difficult to beat. She grimaced as she approached a door, ropes digging into her arms with every step.

Lila huffed, tightening her fists. _I wonder if I can break this_ , she thought, fingers brushing the cold metal. She looked around the dim room, and decided on one of the many columns that held up the ceiling. She just hoped it was sturdy enough. Lila inched her way to the column and took a deep breath.

Then she swung her body around, slamming the chair against the pole. The impact sent shocks through her body, but her motion continued because the legs snapped off in the collision, taking the seat of the chair with it. Lila backed up, wincing as her legs caught on the rusted metal edges. The back of the chair was still tied to her, but she could slide out from it and the ropes easily now. Lila lifted it off of her head, reveling in her small victory.

The real problem now was choosing an exit that didn't contain certain death. Lila rubbed her sore arms as she went back to the door. It _looked_ harmless, but she wasn't sure. A window might be less likely to be trapped, but they were all way high up on the walls and fairly small. Too small for her to fit through them if she could even get up there.

She looked back at the door, and then took a deep breath.

 _All of the exits have been trapped_.

That's what Game Over had said. That could have just been a ploy to keep her from leaving. A bluff. What had his body language been like? Even breathing, but maybe a bit _too_ boisterous. Too confident? Was he lying? Was he telling the truth?

Lila closed her eyes, putting fingers to both sides of her head as she tried to recreate his image. That brief scene. The akuma opening and closing the exit door with ease. His immediate footsteps signaling that he left instantly, leaving no time to have trapped that one door.

 _He's lying_.

For some reason, Lila felt a certainty settle in her gut. The certainty she'd felt upon seeing Marinette for the first time, but also the certainty she'd ignored in favor of being blissfully ignorant. As a practiced liar herself, she was also able to discern more accurately whether other people were lying. She supposed that side of herself was at least a little useful. That's how she could see hints of Adrien inside of Chat Noir. That's how she knew most people weren't interested in _her_ , only her connections. That's part of why she had been so thrown upon seeing Silvia for the first time. The woman had been so openly honest with her affection, and it had been weird.

Lila curled her fingers around the door handle and pushed it open, holding her breath.

And it opened fine.

Game Over _had_ been lying. She smiled. But as she moved to leave, something hot dropped in front of her, scorching the ground at her feet. Lila froze, fear replacing all of the pride in her body as fire brushed her shoes.

"Not so fast," A mocking voice said. Game Over's voice.

He had come back.

"What are we waiting for?" Chat Noir asked perched up on a ledge. Ladybug sat next to him, watching as thick gray clouds began to roll in. The two were sitting up on the roof of a tall building, awaiting the next move.

"The location," Ladybug answered, looking down at her yoyo before sighing and putting it back down. A silence ensued as she bit her lip. "I should never had let her fight with us." She breathed, responsibility constricting her throat. Ladybug put her head in her hands. "It's my fault that she's in danger. I told her to stop coming to fight the akuma. But I didn't try hard enough."

Chat Noir looked over solemnly.

"I don't think you could have done anything about it," He simply said. "She seems like the type to do what she wants."

Ladybug looked up, giving Chat Noir a broken look.

"I'm supposed to be protecting Paris. The civilians of Paris. Not the other way around. And because of that, Lila's being used against me." She shuddered as she let out a breath. "I'm a failure of a superhero."

Chat Noir clicked his tongue. "Ah-ah-ah." He shook his head in disapproval. "You can't hold yourself responsible for other people's actions, my lady. And you've rescued thousands of civilians since becoming Ladybug. We've saved so many lives," He countered. But it didn't change the reality that they were in right now.

"But I've put her in danger." Ladybug repeated, that one fact haunting her. One of the people closest to her… now in the grasp of an akuma. It was all her fault.

"Hey hey hey, don't talk like that," Chat Noir frowned at her. "We have a plan. We're going to save her."

"But-"

"There's no buts on that, my lady. We're going to save her. We're going to save her like we always do. Trust me on this one." He continued, and smiled brightly at Ladybug. Her eyes widened at his words, a small ray of confidence shining into the murky abyss of worry.

Just then, her yoyo buzzed. Ladybug slid her yoyo cover back. The blue text read a message.

An address.

A drop of rain suddenly touched her head and she looked up, feeling more drops follow the first, soaking into her bangs. Chat Noir stood up, and then reached a hand down to Ladybug. She stared it for a second, the water sliding off of the black material easily.

"Do you trust me?" He asked, giving her a warm smile. Ladybug laughed, and couldn't help but smile back. She wasn't like the water; she wouldn't fall off the side. She was going to hang on. Ladybug took his hand in a firm grip, and allowed herself to be pulled up to her feet.

"I do."

"Good." Chat Noir looked from her to Paris, surveying the world around them. "Let's go save her."

Lila didn't think that a fusion of Mario and Megaman would be the person to beat her up in her life. But here she was, getting beat up by a fusion of Mario and Megaman (and other assorted video game characters). Well, almost.

She dodged a fireball, and then a plasma shot. Just then he ran right by her in a blur and Lila groaned. His fusion included Sonic, too? As he moved past, a hand grabbed her arm and then she was being dragged at an inhuman speed. Her feet left the ground and she screamed internally as she found herself parallel to the ground, the wind from the motion tearing at her ears. Her arm burned, aching as it was pulled too hard. And then the tight grip left her, but her body kept moving forward. Lila looked behind her, and saw a smug faced Game Over watching as her body flew into the wall. In the moment she felt her stomach lurch, and then her back slammed into the bricks _hard_.

Lila's air was knocked from her lungs as she crumpled, falling to the floor. _This kind of violence isn't allowed on a kid's show!_ She thought fiercely before her body was overcome with pain. Lila felt her knees hit the ground hard, and then the rest of her body followed. She tried to breath, but found she couldn't. Not really. Panic exploded in her mind as her hands came to touch her throat. She tried to inhale but she couldn't feel any air come in.

Her mouth shaped the word _help_ but no sound came out. Lila winced as she moved, her back groaning in protest and her arm aching where it had been gripped. She couldn't get up. Lila remained on the floor, eyes wide as she tried to force herself to breathe.

"I hope that was enough to teach you a lesson." Game Over's voice somehow made its way through her clouded thoughts, but Lila was focused on trying to breathe. He turned away from her dismissively and Lila squeezed her eyes shut, wondering if she was going to die.

As the seconds came and went, Lila realized that air was beginning to circulate again. Sharp, wheezing gasps brought air into her system. She could breathe again, albeit more painfully and with more effort.

So that was what it was like to get the wind knocked out of you.

"Ladybug's on her way," Game Over suddenly said, and Lila winced. She'd put Marinette in danger and that pulled at her heart.

She wanted to curl into herself and cry. But honestly, she'd cried enough today. Just then, light flashed in the windows before vanishing. A shock of thunder shook the floor slightly, and Lila realized it had begun to rain.

At least she now had an excuse for her parents.

Lila pulled herself to a sitting position to assess the situation as the pain slowly lessened. She needed to form a plan. Her parents already dictated most of her life; why should this blue video game character wannabe be allowed to as well? Why should Lila be used to put others in danger? Marinette didn't deserve this. Ladybug didn't deserve this.

Lila needed to fix this. There were many things in her life that were her fault. Every bad thing that hurt her family or her heart; Lila was the cause of it. She brought discord to her parents' lives and she lied to everyone. But, she decided, she wouldn't let Marinette get hurt anymore because of her. Lila had already caused enough grief; she'd lied to her and caused Marinette's sadness.

 _That was all Lila ever did, wasn't it? Lie, deceive and trick people into thinking she was someone she wasn't. That's all she was. That's all she ever would be._

Lila blinked. That didn't mean she couldn't use that skill to protect others.

To protect Marinette.

Lila looked over at the akuma. Game Over stood near an outlet with his 3Ds plugged in. It seemed using his powers made the battery drain quickly. She wondered if it ran out, would Game Over lose all of his powers?

"Hey," Lila said softly. She was going to change tactics. After being thrown by the akuma, she felt like it would be best to gain his trust rather than go against him again.

"What, haven't had enough yet?" Game Over put his device on the ground and cast a look at Lila.

"I was just thinking… you're so strong like this," Lila continued, fake admiration in her eyes.

"What?" Game Over's expression turned confused.

"I mean, you're really smart. Using others to get your enemies. And you're so confident, too. And strong! You threw me just like that! I just… I'm really weak," Lila's voice faltered as she got to the end of her sentence. "That's why I got in a fight with Ladybug. That's why I'm here now. I've only ever really been strong a couple of times…" She trailed off, and then met Game Over's eyes. He seemed interested, and also appreciative of the flattery.

"What are you trying to say here?" He said, a slight hint of suspicion clear in his voice.

"I wish being Volpina," Lila finally said, looking down at her hands. "She was so strong. So much more powerful than I was. Than I am. And after you showed me the akuma, I was scared at first. But that got me thinking… We could be powerful together," Lila confessed.

Game Over looked _more_ interested. The outline of a butterfly appeared in front of his face. Even Hawkmoth was interested.

"Why did you accept Hawkmoth's help?" Lila asked then, hoping to hear some personal details. His face darkened.

"Let's just say someone humiliated me. I helped her out, but in exchange she laughed in my face." He said, clenching his fist. "But I got back at her, thanks to Hawkmoth." Lila nodded sympathetically.

"I know how that feels. I told you I got in a fight with Ladybug earlier. She humiliated me in front of my friends, too. She yelled at me about helping her. She scolded me like I was a child! I… she needs to _pay_ ," Lila hissed the last part, putting in a good amount of venom in her voice. "She may have beaten me when I was Volpina before. But if there were two of us, she wouldn't stand a chance," she finished, and knew that she had put on a good performance.

"And if we get the Miraculouses, I can stay Game Over forever." He suddenly said, and smirked. "You're smarter than you look, Volpina. I thought you were just a regular girl. I think we can work something out."

"I can't become Volpina yet. Ladybug might see through a window and just come in fighting. She has to keep thinking that I'm your hostage," Lila explained.

"You could make an illusion of yourself," Game Over suggested.

"But she might touch it. Or you might touch it. That would break the illusion. And I don't know how different my powers will be the next time I become her," Lila frowned. The real reason she wasn't a fan of that idea was that she didn't think she could stay in control with the akuma for that long. She wanted to minimize the amount of the time she had with it.

"I suppose you're right," Game Over agreed. "But there's not that much time before she gets here."

"I have an idea," Lila suddenly said, and it hurt her to know that Marinette would think she was betraying her. She would be deceiving her again.

But she had to.

 **guest asura, thank you very much for your review!**


	29. Akuma

Five minutes.

That was all the time Ladybug had right now. In her hand she clutched a black ring that resembled Chat Noir's in every aspect. But it wasn't Chat Noir's ring. It was a fake she had summoned using her own power, and now she only had five minutes to walk into the building and save Lila _and_ purify the akuma. Or she could save Lila, detransform, recharge and then come back. Whatever happened, she would no longer be Ladybug after five minutes passed.

She breathed, placing her hand on the door of the warehouse before glancing upwards. Chat Noir had taken to the roof to search for a discreet entrance that would allow him to theoretically get Lila out of the building while Ladybug talked to Game Over. She hoped he wouldn't slip in the rain.

Ladybug pushed the door open and found herself in a dim, vast room. One strike of lighting touched down somewhere close by and illuminated the area brightly for a second. She could see rows of poles all the way to the back of the room. But tied to a column about twenty feet in front of her was Lila, her figure edged by a blue glow. That light was most likely from Game Over, who stood next to her armed with a 3Ds. He placed it on his hip.

Ladybug tamped down on her instinct to react to Lila's presence. She kept calm and sent the akuma a level stare.

"Welcome." Game Over's voice said, accompanied by the rainfall surrounding the building.

"I have Chat Noir's miraculous." Ladybug said, and held out her hand. The black ring lay atop her palm, reflecting the blue light of Game Over's device. At that, Lila's face made a visible change, and for a moment she looked horrified. But Ladybug couldn't think of anyway to reassure Lila without Game Over noticing, so she didn't. Lila would have to remain oblivious to the plan until after it was executed.

Lila stayed silent.

Game Over made a satisfied face as he sauntered over.

"You made the right decision," He said as he plucked the ring from Ladybug's hand, turning it about in his fingers.

"Now let Lila go," Ladybug said fiercely. At that, Game Over raised an eyebrow.

"I believe I said Miraculous _es_. As in, I need yours, too." He smirked and held out his own hand. Ladybug stiffened, and she faintly heard her earring beep. Four minutes.

" _After_ you have freed Lila," She returned, folding her arms.

"Oh, but Ladybug, there is no guarantee that you'll give it to me once I free her." Game Over made a shrugging motion, still keeping his arm stretched out towards. "She's my only leverage against you."

Ladybug looked past the akuma and watched as a dark figure slipped in through a door on the far side of the warehouse. Her nerves calmed down a bit. Chat Noir had made it in.

"She never did anything, she shouldn't have to deal with this, Game Over," Ladybug argued, trying to keep Game Over busy. She prayed he wouldn't look back.

"You know you're wrong, Ladybug. She spent too much time around you, and that was her mistake. And now I'm using her against you," Game Over said. "That's just how it goes. Now hand over your Miraculous."

"But-" Ladybug tried to say, anything to keep Game Over from noticing Chat Noir. Even Lila hadn't noticed him yet.

Game Over's hand receded into the gauntlet on his arm, and a ball of fire shot out. Ladybug flinched out of the way, hand going to her yoyo as a black blur moved.

"Chat!" Ladybug winced. Chat Noir was standing in front of her, staff held out protectively. He'd come out of the darkness to her aid. But at the cost of ruining their plan.

"Oh my," Game Over's voice said, and in the moment Chat Noir had leaped out, he had managed to step several feet back. "What do we have here? Looks like there's _another_ liar around here. You've got a friend, Lila," He looked down at the fake ring in his hand, and shook his head as he let it drop to the floor. It clattered on the ground; it was useless.

"Let her go, Game Over!" Chat Noir called out as Ladybug moved to stand beside him, ready to battle. Even if there were only three minutes left before she detransformed.

"After you betrayed my trust like that? We had a deal," Game Over tsk-ed and turned to go back to Lila. Before he go any farther, Ladybug hurled her yoyo, trying to grab one of his legs. But Game Over sidestepped it easily, and the cannon he already had open let out a volley of fireballs. Chat Noir swung into action, deflecting the fireballs but unable to attack back. Ladybug gritted her teeth and leaped out to the side. If Chat Noir could keep Game Over busy, she could go grab Lila before she detransformed. A beep sounded in her ear, and she knew she only had two minutes left.

As Ladybug passed Game Over, _he laughed_. Ladybug turned to look slightly at him, confusion and horror rushing through her head. She didn't understand, but she didn't have time to make sense of it. She didn't know why he didn't feel the need to stop her. Why he let Ladybug go to Lila without a care in the world. Why he laughed.

Ladybug knelt at Lila's feet, hands tearing at the ropes that kept her tied to the pole behind her.

"I'm here, Lila, I've got you-" She was saying as the cords fell to the ground. As the last of the rope fell away from Lila, she heard a thud behind her. Ladybug glanced back at Game Over, and she gasped upon seeing Chat Noir sprawled on the ground, staff rolling away as Game Over stood up.

"Run!" Chat called, struggling to get to his feet. Game Over cocked his head, and laughed again as he aimed a kick at Chat's ribs. Chat Noir rolled, barely escaping the strike as he got up, grabbing his staff from the floor.

Ladybug reached out to take Lila's hand.

"We have to go!" She said, tugging impatiently. The faster she escaped with Lila, the faster she could recharge and come back to help Chat.

But Lila didn't move.

Game Over's laugh sounded again the warehouse.

"Hey Ladybug!" He called out as he slammed his cannon into Chat's staff. "Once a villain, always a villain!" The impact of his weapon with Chat Noir's sent the staff flying away, and Game Over moved to strike again. Chat Noir couldn't do this alone.

But Ladybug didn't understand, couldn't understand Game Over's words nor Lila's behavior. The girl avoided Ladybug's eyes and kept her feet glued in place.

"What are you talking about?" A hint a panic took to Ladybug's voice. She suddenly stepped back from Lila, feeling an edge of fear creep up her spine. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong, and it had something to do with the girl she loved.

Lila's hand suddenly dipped into her pocket, and Ladybug felt disbelief and panic shake her body as she drew an object out.

Lila held a closed jar in her palm. Behind the glass was a fluttering, black butterfly.

 _An akuma_.

In that moment Ladybug wasn't a superhero. She wasn't a Miraculous holder. She was just a girl. She was just Marinette. A klutz of a girl who let herself get pushed around. She was just a girl who was frozen in fear because she was too weak to protect the people she loved the most. A girl who was frozen in fear because for some reason, the person she loved the most was suddenly turning against her.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice breaking as Lila's other hand came to lift the top off.

Beep. There was only a single minute left.

Ladybug watched in horror, panic holding her in place as the butterfly came out of the jar and floated next to Lila.

 _Capture it before she gets akumatized! Marinette!_ _Move!_

Marinette watched hopelessly, questions running through her head and confusion rooting her to the ground. What was she doing? What was Lila doing? Why was this happening?

"Lila," she whispered, a plea for all of this to stop. Ladybug watched as Lila's mouth formed words, but they were lost in the rush of her heart beating in her ears.

The black butterfly flew once around Lila, as if evaluating her. And then it settled at Lila's throat, where a heart-shaped necklace sat. Marinette watched as the necklace glowed once before reshaping itself in accordance to the akuma. A black substance stretched from the chain, covering Lila head to toe.

Marinette was yelling inside. She was screaming. She was suffering.

Ladybug was just staring in disbelief as the black mass shifted around Lila before dissipating.

And then she was staring at Volpina. A familiar pain twisted her heart. She thought she'd never have to see Lila like this ever again.

Negative emotions were what allowed the akuma inside someone, and Lila had plenty of that. She forced herself to think of all the things wrong, ripping open an entrance for the akuma to come in.

Lila could feel her body cringe as the akuma took root in her mind.

" _Welcome back, Volpina."_

Oh yes, Hawkmoth's loving voice. The best part of being akumatized.

" _I can give you the power to have revenge on those who have hurt you. I hope you can make up for the last time we talked. You will pair nicely with Game Over."_

Lila recoiled in disgust as the darkness inside her spread, changing her from a regular girl into the supervillain Volpina. But she held on.

 _I can do this_.

She _had_ to fix this. She couldn't let Marinette get hurt anymore.

"Yes, Hawkmoth," She said, flexing her fingers as the akuma transformed her. The black substance dissipated, and then she was standing where she was before.

"Take care of Ladybug, and get her Miraculous, Volpina. Once I'm done with Chat Noir, I'll hold a welcoming party for you." Game Over said from his battle. His voice made Lila sick.

"Of course, Game Over," Volpina returned. She looked down at Ladybug, and felt an ache in her heart upon seeing the desolation in Ladybug's face. But then she looked at the earrings, and she realized Ladybug was on the brink of detransformation. There was only a single spot left on the red surface.

Hawkmoth would know her identity. _Volpina_ would let that happen.

Lila leaped to action. She fought inside of herself, screaming and pushing as she forced the akuma to obey. She forced her negative emotions out, closing up the breach in her mind and stopping the akuma's progress.

The akuma wasn't in control anymore.

Lila brought the flute to her lips, and as Ladybug's earrings gave one last beep, a wall suddenly rose up from the ground, keeping Marinette hidden. She and her identity were protected. For now, at least. Her illusions had substance for a little while now, like the second time she had been akumatized. She wouldn't let Hawkmoth see.

Lila hoped Marinette had heard her before she accepted the akuma. But she hadn't wanted to alert Game Over to her plan. She wondered what Marinette was thinking, walled off from the fight.

Then she darted over to Game Over, who was giving Chat Noir a thorough pummeling.

 _I'm sorry_ , Lila thought to herself. She had caused his pain, as well. But she was going to end it.

Lila grabbed for the 3Ds strapped to Game Over's waist, and it came away easily.

"What are you doing?!" Game Over yelled angrily, turning to look at Volpina. This allowed Chat Noir to land a blow back, and gain the upper hand.

Hawkmoth seemed to realize he had made a mistake. The purple outline of a butterfly appeared on her face as she then used her flute like a staff sweeping Game Over off of his feet.

" _You filthy little- You tricked me! I gave you power and this is what you do with it?!"_ Hawkmoth was upset. He was angry.

He was going to take the akuma out of Lila the way he did before. _He_ was going to remove it. The akuma began to struggle, struggling to escape Lila. Lila would have loved to let it go and never come back, but she needed its power.

To save Marinette. The moment the akuma left, the wall that kept Marinette from view would vanish. Her power would be gone and Marinette would be revealed to Hawkmoth, who could see what the butterflies

Lila hurled the 3Ds to the ground and then grabbed her necklace, forcing the akuma to stay inside. It was crying, it was yelling, it was trying to escape her but Lila hung on, forcing it to stay. The darkness contorted inside her, bringing pain to her muscles and discord in her thoughts. But she still needed to keep it so she could protect Marinette. Ladybug's identity.

"You can't leave so soon," Lila said to the akuma, clutching at her necklace. It had reshaped into the Volpina necklace in the akumatization. "You've only just got here."

When Lila finally got the butterfly to temporarily stop ripping its way out of her mind, she realized that Game Over's akuma had exited the broken 3Ds. And with the broken device, his powers were disabled and his de-akumatization was imminent. But the akuma was left floating. Only Ladybug could purify it.

" _You know what? You're right. Maybe we should stay longer_." Hawkmoth's voice suddenly said, and Lila's eyes widened. She watched as Game Over melted away to reveal a normal but unconscious teenager, and as the other akuma turned and headed for her.

Her own akuma, she could control for a little bit. But Game Over's, too?

That was too much. Lila clutched her flute to her chest and backed up as it approached her. She _hated_ how it felt having one akuma inside. She couldn't imagine the sorrow and despair of having _two_. Fear spiked inside of her and blood rushed in her ears.

"No!" She felt her breath pick up as she focused on the black and purple wings. She was already fighting to stay in control; she couldn't handle another akuma. She couldn't do it and she was terrified. Hadn't she done enough?

And then it stopped.

Chat Noir had picked up the jar and closed the akuma inside of it just before it touched Lila. Lila let out a breath, her shoulders sagging as Chat Noir approached her.

"Are you… are you really in control, Lila?" He asked, awe in his voice.

"I… am." She looked at him, and then down at herself. _I really did it._

She saved him. She saved Marinette. She took control of her worst enemy and used it to protect the people important to her.

Just then the akuma resumed its struggle. She gasped and curled in on herself, hands going to clutch at her necklace.

"Let it out, Lila!" Chat Noir dropped his staff and approached her, worry coloring his face.

"I can't!" She said through gritted teeth. "Not yet! Ladybug-" Lila grimaced in pain, but she continued. "She might not have transformed back yet! I can't let the akuma see her identity!" Lila threw her head back as pain rippled through her head and _screamed_. The akuma was tearing at her, ripping at her will and she felt her fingers slipping. It felt like it was splitting her head.

" _Foolish girl! You don't deserve this power! You were supposed to listen to ME! Let it go!"_ Hawkmoth's voice echoed in her mind, overwhelming her senses. Sharp jabs followed every emphasis. But she held tight, hands grabbing at the darkness and forcing it to stay.

Chat Noir ran to the walled off area, fists coming to pound on the bricks.

"Ladybug! Are you transformed?!" He yelled through the thing.

Lila jolted as a particular painful rush swept through her, and then she registered Chat Noir's hand shaking her shoulder.

"She said she's transformed! Her identity is safe! You can let it go!" He was saying frantically.

Lila's eyes snapped open, and in that moment she flung her arms open and let the akuma go. As the dark butterfly clawed its way out of her necklace and leaped in the air, she felt all of the pain vanish. The strange, bubbling darkness inside of her dissipated as she released the evil power, taking the supervillain Volpina with it.

But as the pain left her, exhaustion replaced it. Lila nearly felt herself drop as her vision swam, but Chat Noir caught her.

"Lila!"

Lila blinked.

 _Marinette!_

Lila steadied her legs thanks to Chat Noir and turned around. She prayed that it wouldn't be Marinette standing there. That she wouldn't be stuck in her civilian clothes. That Hawkmoth wouldn't be able to see through the akuma and discover Ladybug's identity.

And thankfully when Lila turned around and Volpina's illusion wall faded away, it was not Marinette who stood there but Ladybug. Somehow she had managed to recharge and retransform while protected in Lila's illusion. Relief crested in Lila and she wanted to run to her.

But she didn't know how Marinette felt about her after what happened before.

"My lady! You're okay!" Chat Noir said, and Ladybug didn't reply. He looked down at his hand, and then remembered that they needed to purify the butterflies.

Chat Noir uncapped the jar and let the akuma free. Ladybug stepped forward, silently swinging her yoyo to take both Volpina's and Game Over's akuma inside. And when she opened her yoyo again, white butterflies burst out and gently flew away.


	30. New Lila

_It was done_.

The sentence repeated in Lila's head.

 _It's finally over._

Lila watched as the delicate white butterflies fluttered about, and then turned to Ladybug, mixed emotions filling her body.

Would Marinette be upset?

Lila bit her lip as her limbs suddenly felt heavier. Gravity seemed to suddenly get stronger, and Lila winced. Something weighed down on her body.

Was Marinette mad at Lila?

Lila put a hand to her head as it began to pound.

Ladybug was tying the her yoyo back around her waist, looking calm and composed. Chat Noir was walking to Ladybug, eyes all sparkles of admiration. His mouth was moving, he was saying something, gesturing to Lila. But all she could hear was the beating in her ears.

Lila's legs began to shake as her vision swam.

 _She probably hates what I did._

Lila fell to a knee and her hand found the floor, trying to steady herself.

 _I did it to save her_.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were getting blurrier and darker as Lila sank down, squinting up at them. The red blur was getting larger and closer. Something was reaching out to her. But Lila was falling. Falling faster than the red hand stretching towards her. With a shaky exhale, Lila's eyelids fell shut and she dropped into oblivion.

Ladybug felt her heart rate accelerate as she gathered Lila in her arms, her breaths coming faster and faster.

"Lila!" She called out, pressing a hand to Lila's face.

Suddenly everything was too much. Marinette was bursting at the seams. She was repeating Lila's name as she held the girl closer, tears brimming in her eyes until a familiar hand closed down on her shoulder. Ladybug hadn't realized she was hyperventilating until Chat Noir started talking.

"She's breathing," He said, his tone more serious than the usual playful hero. "Fighting the akuma like that… that must have taken a lot out of her,"

Ladybug slowed her breaths and tried to discreetly wipe her tears as she held on to Lila's prone body. Sure enough, Lila's chest rose and fell as she breathed. That helped calm Ladybug down. Chat Noir knelt next to her and rubbed her back gently. Ladybug squeezed her eyes shut as her shoulders sagged, relaxing into her partner's comforting touch.

"I just…" Ladybug began and felt the tears well up again, "I couldn't protect her, Chat."

Chat Noir's face turned serious.

Ladybug looked down at Lila as she pulled her closer. There were slight tears in Lila's leggings. Dirt and dust patterned her clothes and face. Who knows what else happened to her before they showed up?

"I was useless. So useless," She whispered, head down, "I couldn't do _anything."_

"Ladybug-"

"I couldn't do anything, Chat!" Ladybug's voice suddenly rose. Chat Noir jumped slightly and fell silent, and then she was sagging again, small and weak. "She was hurt. We were supposed to _save her_. It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

Chat Noir remained quiet for a few moments, pressing gently on her shoulder.

"When she took out the akuma, I just froze," Ladybug confessed past the lump in her throat. "I could have stopped her. I could have taken her and run out, and come back to help you. This didn't have to happen, Chat." She gently laid Lila's head back down on the ground and placed her fisted hands on her knees. "But I just stopped. I was so confused and scared. I didn't know what to do."

"Well," Chat Noir said after another pause, "happens to the best of us."

Ladybug turned her head and looked at him incredulously.

"What?" She stared at him, disbelieving. He raised his hands up in defense.

"We're not perfect, Ladybug. Well- I mean- you _are_ perfect, don't get me wrong. But we're going to make mistakes along the way. I let Lady Wifi get the Chat Noir doll. I let myself get hit by Dislocoeur's arrow. I even got captured by the Copycat!" He explained, and then glanced away. "And… I ruined our plan. Maybe if I hadn't jumped out, I could have gotten Lila out too. You're not the only one who made a mistake."

Ladybug bit her lip. It was different. Ladybug was _always_ the one who saved the day in end. She beat Chat Noir when she had to fight against him. She purified the akuma, and she returned everything to its rightful state when all was said and done.

"You were just trying to protect me," Ladybug said, unconvinced, wanting to justify anyone but herself.

"Doesn't change the fact that I still messed up, Ladybug," Chat Noir sighed regretfully. "I've made plenty of mistakes. And anyone would have done the same thing if they were you. No one would know what to do if a civilian just pulled out an akuma like that. I was just as confused as you," he continued.

"I'm supposed to know what to do," Ladybug returned, still upset. _I'm supposed to be the perfect hero_.

"Now you _will_ know what to do if this happens again. Mistakes happen, and you learn from them, my lady." Chat Noir was unyielding.

But his words made sense, and she found herself coming to agree.

Maybe Ladybug wasn't so perfect after all. She'd placed herself up on a pedestal, only to have it crumble down. Perhaps she was supposed to stay on the ground all along.

"You're human, too," Chat Noir said softly, and Ladybug frowned in resignation.

Because it was true. She _was_ human. Marinette was a human.

 _So what?_ She still was also a superhero. She _needed_ to be better. People were at risk. She couldn't afford to make mistakes if it meant others would be hurt.

Ladybug grimaced; she and Marinette were differing in their ideas. Chat Noir, for once, seemed so sensible. His words; Ladybug wanted to be true. But no matter how much she reasoned with herself, Ladybug persisted in the thought of her responsibility.

She pushed it aside and sighed. Duty still rang out in her head.

"I'll… I'll bring her home," Ladybug said, scooping Lila into her arms once more as she got to her feet. She frowned down at the limp body in her arms, wondering what else she had been put through.

"Wait!" Chat Noir called out as Ladybug took a step. She felt a stab of annoyance as she turned to look back at her.

"What?" She said, and then felt ashamed that her voice was so pinched. Chat didn't deserve that.

"You need to use your lucky charm… to reverse the damage…" He said quietly, and Ladybug blinked.

She'd forgotten all about it.

She looked around, suddenly feeling bashful that she'd forgotten one of the most essential powers she'd had. She wasn't having a good day.

"It's here," Chat Noir bent over and picked up the fake ring she'd summoned from her previous transformation.

"Thank you," Ladybug returned in a small voice, eyes down.

"I can take her if you want," Chat Noir offered. Ladybug barely managed to keep from lashing out as she tightened her grip, holding Lila closer to her.

Now she just wanted to be alone with Lila.

But she had to let her go so she could reverse what the akuma had done.

Ladybug reluctantly set Lila in Chat Noir's arms and took the ring in her hand. She frowned as she looked down at it. A lucky charm had never failed her before.

This was the first.

With a deep breath, she tossed the ring up in the air and called out the required words emotionlessly. The ring burst into a million sparkles, sending out pink and red swirls that danced around them. Red particles gently spiraled around Chat Noir and Lila, wiping away the dirt that touched her clothes. Pink waved over the unconscious teenager on the floor, bringing him to faint awareness.

"Do you want me to bring her home?" Chat Noir asked, his voice all gentle and kind and Ladybug hated how it annoyed her. He was just being nice, and she should be appreciating it, but at the moment all she wanted to do was be alone.

"No. You should help him," Ladybug was firm; she just wanted to go. She nodded her head in Game Over's direction, where a teenager sat up and looked around in confusion. Chat Noir frowned but lowered Lila back into Ladybug's arms. Even though damage had been reversed, Lila was still unconscious.

"If- if you ever want to just… talk to someone," Chat Noir suddenly said, earnest eyes looking directly at Ladybug, "I'll listen to you."

Ladybug's eyes widened.

"Chat…" She said quietly, facing away from him as she felt Lila's weight settle, "Thank you. Really," Guilt filled her body, and for a moment she felt tears begin to well up again, but she hurried out, taking quick steps so she could be alone.

Lila felt herself floating.

Warm. Soft.

 _You did it_.

A voice whispered gently in Lila's ear. She blinked once, then twice, and she felt her breath vanish.

Lila was suspended in air, lost in the night sky. The world seemed dark at first, but the space was filled with hundreds of small winking lights. Stripes of color ran through the air, dancing past Lila. She turned in the air, watching the ribbons fly around her.

 _You've changed_.

The same voice echoed in her mind.

Lila looked around, wondering who was speaking. Her movements sent her into a slow rotation, and she turned weightlessly as her hair floated around her. A bright blue swirl of color made its way towards her. A feather light touch brushed her wrist.

 _You should tell them the truth_.

 _You're strong enough now_.

Lila blinked several times, taking in the words.

She knew what it meant. The ribbon moved from her hand and spiraled around her body.

 _You'll be okay_.

And she closed her eyes one last time, Lila left that space behind.

Cold wind swept across her face. Her bangs shifted and turned with every gust. She was moving through the air, with quick and delicate movements. Even though it was cool out, her left side was pressed against something warm. Her back didn't hurt anymore, and she felt refreshed.

Lila remembered this feeling, and she didn't want it to end. But she had something to do, and she opened her eyes.

"Marinette?" She whispered faintly, looking to the left. It was red and black and when she looked up, the midday sky shined down on her.

Ladybug jerked to a stop and Lila lurched forward, but Ladybug's arms held her from falling.

"Lila!" Ladybug said, and Lila had never seen the girl look so relieved in her entire life. Ladybug set Lila down on the ground, which turned out to be some concrete roof somewhere in the city. Her feet felt foreign on solid ground, and she used Ladybug's arms to steady herself.

Lila bit her lip; she knew she had a lot to explain.

"Marinette I-"

Lila was stopped when Ladybug pulled her into a tight embrace, and the words in her mouth vanished. Arms came around her and held her close, and Lila realized that the girl holding her was shaking. Ladybug's shoulders trembled and shook and Lila automatically moved to return the embrace.

"Marinette…" Lila was expecting anger or disappointment or something like that, maybe some worry because it happened last time.

But this?

It dawned on her how much a risk of she took. The pain she caused Marinette.

"I'm sorry," She said in a small voice, and she felt Ladybug push her head into her shoulder. "You were right. I shouldn't have been around you so much as Ladybug. I never thought this would happen. And I'm sorry for lying to you. I just… I've never been able to talk to people about my life before."

There were so many more things to apologize for. So many more things to say, but Lila found her voice weakening as Ladybug continued to press her face into Lila's shoulder.

A few seconds passed before Ladybug mumbled something, but Lila couldn't hear it.

"What?"

Ladybug lifted her head and looked directly at Lila.

"Are you really leaving?" She asked, and Lila's mouth thinned.

Her parents wanted to.

But that didn't mean she had to.

"No," Lila finally said, determination filling her body, "I won't."

"Really?" Ladybug pressed, and Lila was astounded by the vulnerability in her voice.

"Really." Lila was certain. She wouldn't let her parents push her around anymore.

She'd done something incredible. Confidence flowed from her heart to the tips of her fingers. There was no reason why she couldn't confront her parents, and no reason why she should have to go along with them when they couldn't even get along with themselves.

"I won't let them take me away."

Ladybug's face broke into a weak smile, and Lila moved.

One of her hands moved up from Ladybug's back to cup her face. In the same movement she pressed her lips gently to Ladybug's and let her eyes fall closed. Ladybug relaxed in the kiss, her arms settling gently as they shared the moment together. Even if everything wasn't quite resolved just yet...

It felt right.

Just as Lila was about to pull away, a familiar buzz sounded and Ladybug nearly jumped.

"It's your phone," She explained sheepishly as she reached behind her and pulled out the device.

As expected, Lila had several missed calls and text from her parents.

She narrowed her eyes.

"Marinette," Lila said, lowering the phone, "could you take me to my house?"

"I'll be back soon," Lila had said, her eyes determined. She'd strided into the building with her head held high and power radiating from every step.

She'd changed.

Marinette stood outside of Lila's house, looking down at the ground.

"I wonder how much I don't know," She said, glancing to the front door where Lila had disappeared through a few minutes ago.

"It's not your fault for not knowing everything, Marinette," Tikki returned from her purse, and Marinette lifted the kwami up.

"I know," Marinette sighed in resignation, "but if I had… maybe I could have helped her. If she'd just told me..."

"There's definitely a reason for why she didn't talk about it," Tikki said in response. "It's probably in her nature to keep her troubles to herself,"

Marinette frowned, and it was silent for a few minutes.

"I always thought Ladybug could do everything," She then said, moving on to her next worry, "I never realized there would be a time when she would fail like that. I… I was useless, Tikki."

Tikki looked thoughtful as she mulled over the words.

"No one is perfect, Marinette. Not Ladybug, not you, not even me. We're all bound to make mistakes. We're all bound to have some failures in life,"

"But Tikki!" Marinette's voice suddenly rose, and she then quieted down. "I don't want my mistakes to put others at risk. Ladybug should be saving people, not putting them in danger."

Tikki was calm and took the outburst in stride.

"Then what you _can_ do is to learn from your mistakes. You have to embrace your failures, Marinette. Accepting your mistakes and learning from them will make you grow. You'll never be able to learn if you always succeed," Tikki said wisely, and Marinette bit her lip.

It made sense. But it was still painful to accept it.

"It might be hard to accept that," Tikki said sympathetically, "But I know that you will become better for it."

Marinette smiled. She wasn't entirely convinced, and she wasn't sure she ever would be, but she appreciated Tikki's words.

Just then the front door opened and Marinette jumped, peering past the gate.

Lila was walking out, her stride purposeful and full of confidence.

"Lila! Where are you going?!" Someone called from inside the house, presumably her mother.

"Somewhere else," Lila said back, and then she was running. Marinette's eyes widened; Lila had a spring in every step and a flush in her cheeks.

She looked alive.

"Lila!" Another voice yelled out.

Lila took Marinette's hand as she passed and then the two were off. Marinette was too surprised to question it, and she went with the flow. Even though there were other issues at hand, Marinette pushed them aside for now. Fast and wild and free, their feet pounding on the Paris ground, Lila and Marinette ran hand in hand.

"Who lives here?" Marinette inquired curiously, and Lila smiled.

"My grandmother," She answered as they stepped through the spinning doors.

"Why are we here?" Marinette then asked, and Lila squeezed her hand.

"I have to talk to her about what's happened. Even if I don't want to go back to Italy, my parents will probably have to go somewhere else sooner or later. I… I want to see if I can stay with her," Lila confessed, "My parents aren't bad people, but they do have their jobs and their own lives. And I while I don't want to get in their way, I don't want to have to move for them."

Marinette nodded, and Lila sighed.

"And… I've accepted that they really don't have a lot of time to spend with me. I've always gone along with what they said, but even if I go with them all over the world, I'll never get to spend the time I want with them," Lila continued, feeling like a weight was lifted off her chest. She felt lighter and happier. She'd foiled Hawkmoth's plans. She'd stood up to her parents' decisions.

She felt like she could do anything. Lila stopped at the list of apartments, and pressed the doorbell to Silvia's.

The two of them stepped in the elevator, and the doors slid shut.

"Lila," Marinette suddenly said, "what… what exactly was going on with you for the past few weeks?"

Lila froze for a second before looking down at her feet.

For a split second she was about to lie. She was about to say how she'd been fine, that nothing had been wrong. But she remembered how hurt Marinette had been. How her lying and deception had caused Marinette's pained expression.

"My parents were fighting," She finally said, and then looked back up at Marinette, "They were fighting about me. Whether I should travel with them or not."

Marinette frowned at her words.

"Why… didn't you tell me?" Marinette asked finally, and Lila closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her words.

She didn't have to lie anymore.

"I've never really relied on anyone before," Lila told her truthfully, "I always thought I could handle my issues alone. I didn't want to cause you trouble. And… I thought you might think I was weak… for being unable to deal with my own problems."

Marinette turned to Lila, mouth open in shock.

"I wouldn't!" She took a small step towards Lila.

Lila managed a small smile.

"I know you wouldn't. I know I should have told you as soon as it happened. I really wish I had. I hated lying to you; it made me hate myself. But I've always been alone. I'd never had someone I _could_ talk to before." Lila looked down.

Marinette squeezed her hand.

"But you're not alone anymore," She said softly, and Lila met her gaze, a rush of affection moving through her.

"I have you now," Lila agreed, and Marinette moved closer.

Lila closed her eyes, waiting. Marinette's hand left hers.

Still waiting. Maybe her hands would come to touch her face. Maybe she-

"So that means I'm allowed to be upset when you do dangerous things,"

Lila opened her eyes, and saw that Marinette had turned her head away.

"Mari?" She said, suddenly nervous.

The elevator gave a ding, and the doors slip open. Marinette stepped out, not looking behind. Lila frowned and followed.

"I'm sorry…" She said quietly, eyes downcast.

She'd known that the kind of thing she had done would make Marinette upset. She'd known Ladybug wouldn't like it. She'd known that Marinette would think she was betraying.

But it was her fault she had been used to lure Ladybug.

Lila had felt responsible. She thought she had to be the one to save Ladybug,

It was the least she could do.

"You had always told me to stay away when you were fighting… I never listened," Lila accepted.

"No!" Marinette exclaimed, and Lila's foot took a step back in surprise. But she still didn't turn around. Marinette's hands curled into fists.

"Marinette…"

"I know you were trying to save me. I know that," Marinette said, her shoulders beginning to shake, "I… I thought I lost you,"

Lila felt her heart nearly stop.

"I was so scared. I was so worried about you. I thought you were gone when you took out the akuma."

Lila closed her eyes. There was the guilt. Even if she had saved Ladybug, saved Marinette, there was no denying the pain she'd caused. She'd put her in danger and then hurt her while saving her. From the beginning, it had all started with her pretending to be Ladybug's friend and then just being around Ladybug. She'd lied to her and hurt her the whole time.

Maybe she didn't deserve to be with her, after all.

Lila bit her lip. She hadn't realized just how much she had messed up. How much pain she had caused her. But if she wasn't worthy to date Marinette, to love her, then…

A small lump formed in her throat.

"I- If you want to, um, if you want this whole thing to- to just stop, t-then- I can leave you alone-" Lila was saying, trying to stop the tears from forming. Her heart began to ache.

Marinette suddenly flung herself at Lila, curling her arms around her. Lila stumbled back, confused and startled.

"That's not what I was saying at all," Marinette said, her quiet voice right beside Lila's ear, "You're so important to me, Lila. You're so important that when I think about losing you I-" She cut off, and Lila understood.

"I'm sorry," Lila repeated, knowing that these apologies wouldn't be enough to make up for the damage that had been done. But relief coursed through her; she didn't have to break up.

"I… I can't forgive you just yet." Marinette stepped back from the hug, not meeting Lila's eyes.

"I understand." That was something Lila could accept, even if it hurt.

"Give her some time," A small voice said in Lila's ear and she turned to see Tikki sitting on her shoulder. "I could feel how worried she was when… when it happened. I've never felt that kind of terror from her before. She really cares about you, Lila."

Lila nodded, mulling over that information.

"She was also really impressed, by the way. Just throwing that out there," Tikki added quickly, and Marinette turned, eyes wide.

"Tikki!" She frowned at the kwami, who winked at Lila and then flew back to her holder.

 _Impressed_?

Just then a door ahead of them opened, and none other than Silvia stepped out.

"Lila!" She exclaimed, and Lila felt her mouth stretch into a smile.

"Nonna!"

Marinette pulled out her phone, unsure of what else to do at the moment. Lila was talking with her grandma and discussing the issue with her parents.

Earlier when she'd first come in, Lila had introduced her as her girlfriend.

Then Silvia had fawned over both of them, left to make tea, returned with tea and snacks and then entered a long conversation with Lila.

During the whole fiasco, Marinette had missed the rest of lunch break and half of the second set of classes and Alya had texted her a million times. This was something that happened often, on account of her being a superhero.

 _Alya: yo adrien nino and i split up and went to look_

 _Alya: hey we're still looking, any luck?_

 _Alya: ;; i havent eaten yet, im gonna have to stop_

 _Alya: hello?_

 _Alya: MARI THERES A SUPERVILLAIN GET OVER HERE_

 _Alya: IM SCREAMING HERES LADYBUG AND CHAT_

 _Alya: tfw chat noir makes u go to safety ;; how am i supposed to record this from here_

 _Alya: WTF MARI IM HIDING NEARBY_

 _Alya: I JUST HEARD LADYBUG SAY THE DUDE HAS A HOSTAGE_

 _Alya: ITS A GIRL_

 _Alya: MARI I THINK THE AKUMA KIDNAPPED LILA O-O_

 _Alya: MARI I DEFINITELY KNOW THE AKUMA KIDNAPPED LILA_

 _Alya: y did i post that interview in the distant past ;;;;;_

 _Alya: LB AND CN ARE GOING TO SAVE HER ITLL BE OKAY! MARI!_

 _Alya: mari WHERE ARE U_

 _Alya: lb and cn just left, they are gonna go get lila_

 _Alya: tfw the teacher finds you_

 _Alya: tfw adrien is missing ? ?_?_

 _Alya: where are yall disappearing to i dont understand_

 _Alya: nvm he back after like 120389 years_

 _Alya: mari where are you? did you find lila?_

 _Alya: MARI_

 _Alya: MARI MARI MARI_

 _Alya: tfw class starts_

 _Alya: TEXT ME BACK WHEN U C THIS!_

Marinette took a deep breath as she read through the texts.

The whole thing really had taken a long time.

 _Mari: hhhheyyy alya wats up haha_

She stared at her phone warily, fearful of what Alya would say.

 _Alya: mari ur lucky im ur bff or else id kick ur butt rite about now_

 _Alya: WHERE did u go_

 _Mari: i was looking for lila T_T my phone was on silent sry_

 _Alya: mari i STG_

 _Mari: i found lila after she got saved im with her right now_

Marinette had to ride a fine line right about now.

 _Alya: R U SKIPPIN SKOOL TO HANG WITH UR GF_

 _Alya: OMFG_

 _Alya: is she ok tho_

 _Mari: yea shes fine now we're at her grandmas_

 _Alya: WOW already meeting her family ;;;;)))_

 _Mari: :|_

 _Alya: check the ladyblog later girl i posted a video_

 _Alya: ttyl mari ive been texting u in the bathroom for like five min already_

 _Alya: btw tell lila to come talk to me later about her adventure w the akuma_

 _Mari: cya_

Marinette looked up from her phone. Lila was smiling and laughing and Silvia was chuckling.

Marinette felt a smile on her own face. She was happy that Lila was happy.

Just then Lila stood up.

"I'll be right back," she said, and headed towards what Marinette assumed was the bathroom.

"So you're Marinette Cheng," Silvia said as soon as the door closed, and Marinette stiffened, wondering if this was going to be a good or bad conversation.

"That's me," she replied, giving the lady a nice smile.

"You're the one that kissed my granddaughter when she was temporarily a supervillain?" Silvia continued, and Marinette stared at her as red suddenly flooded her cheeks. Oh no.

"Uh." Marinette blinked and looked away, "maybe?"

At that, Silvia gave a hearty laugh and Marinette didn't know whether to be glad or not.

"I'm sorry," Silvia managed to say between chuckles, "I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to phrase that question like that."

Marinette managed a smile, feeling her anxiety simmer down.

"Alright, alright, how about this: so you're the one dating my granddaughter?" Silvia tried again, and Marinette blushed again and laughed as well.

"Yes."

"You know, Lila really likes you. She always talks about you when she's here." Silvia glanced at the bathroom door and then back at Marinette, who jumped to attention.

"Really?" She asked curiously.

"Yes. She always tells me how pretty and amazing you are." Silvia nodded, and Marinette suddenly felt embarrassed. Pleased, but still embarrassed.

"I'm not sure I can live up to that…" She murmured.

"Nonsense!" Silvia declared, "I'm sure you can. You're a beautiful young lady and if Lila likes you that much, I'm certain that you're a wonderful person." Marinette froze under the praise, simultaneously happy and bashful.

"I… thank you," Marinette settled on that.

"It's truly a shame that her parents are so busy, you know. I wish I'd suggested living with me way back." Silvia wrapped her hands around a cup and sighed. "My son isn't exactly the warm and caring type, and the same goes for my daughter-in-law. I never knew that it was this bad, though." Silvia fell silent for a few moments, and Marinette took hold of her own cup of tea.

"I never knew, either," Marinette finally said, eyes downcast. Her reflection in the tea was serious and somber.

"She never did share her troubles with anyone else. But I'm glad she has you, now," Silvia said, "I'm glad she had you when I wasn't there, however brief that time was." Marinette looked up to see Silvia's bittersweet expression for just a second, and then it was gone.

"I… I hope she thinks the same. I really like her, too," Marinette confessed, and Silvia smiled.

The two sat in a comfortable silence until Lila returned.

Lila entered the room quietly to find Marinette asleep on the guest bed (which, she thought gleefully, would be her bed from now on). Well, she couldn't really blame her. The discussion she'd had with Silvia and her parents on the phone had been a long one. So long, in fact, that the sun had gone down awhile ago and darkness had fallen.

Lila reached for the light switch and flicked it off, plunging the room in a cozy dimness.

Before the call, Silvia had suggested that the two sleep over. Both girls had agreed excitedly, and Silvia had given them some large t-shirts and pajama pants.

Lila smiled fondly at Marinette's sleeping face, and tried to gently sit down on the other side of the bed without waking her. But the mattress settled and moved as she did, and Marinette's eyes fluttered open.

"Sorry for waking you," Lila said apologetically.

"It's okay," Marinette replied tiredly, rolling onto her side to gaze up at Lila.

"You might be better off getting under the covers, though," Lila suggested, and laughed when Marinette looked down at her body and realized that she had, indeed, just gone to sleep on top of all the blankets.

"Oops," Marinette said, supremely unconcerned with the fact. Lila rolled her eyes playfully and started tugging the comforter out from underneath her girlfriend. "So, how did it go?"

Lila paused in her task and smiled at Marinette.

"I'm staying," She said softly, and Marinette's mouth stretched into a sleep smile.

"I'm so happy." Marinette looked up at Lila, her smile reaching her eyes.

"Me too," Lila agreed, and then did a particularly mighty yank on the comforter that nearly made Marinette roll off of the bed.

"Hey!" Marinette said sternly as she sat up on the bed. In the dim light, Lila could see her hair was down and a little messy. She looked slightly disheveled but still managed to be as cute as always.

"Yes?" Lila said innocently, satisfied with what she'd done. She got on the bed and slid her legs under the covers, and then lifted the blanket up so that Marinette could to. Marinette pouted, but did the same.

She was a little nervous about sharing a bed with Marinette, but it wasn't like there was another bed in the apartment. Furthermore, it was a pretty big bed, and there was more than enough room for the both of them. She was so apprehensive that she nearly turned around and faced her back to Marinette, but she persevered. It was so dark that she could barely make out Marinette's face, anyway; it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

"Thank you," Marinette suddenly said in the silence, "for staying."

Lila, who had been lying on her back, turned to face Marinette.

"Of course," She answered quietly, putting a hand on top of the one Marinette had set between them. Warmth closed on top of her open palm, and she realized Marinette was holding her hand with both of her own.

Both girls faced each other in the darkness, the space between them warm with their own body heat. Lila felt her knees brush against Marinette's, but neither moved away.

"Goodnight, Marinette," Lila breathed, feeling a sense of relaxation calm her body, "I love you."

Marinette made a sound that sounded like a gasp and her hands tightened almost imperceptibly. Love and happiness glowed inside of Lila.

The two still had issues to work out and things to deal with. But they would get through it together, and figure out their place in the world. For now, they were content to be happy.

"I love you, too," Marinette returned, and Lila felt her own smile grow bigger.

As the two fell asleep and the moon traveled in the skies above, Tikki curled up inside Marinette's purse and was thankful that the two had found each other.

LMFAOOOO YALL ITS HERE

SORRY FOR 2 MONTH BREAK, I STARTED COLLEGE RIGHT AFTER THE LAST CHAPTER :V

there will be an epilogue coming

THANKS ALL FOR FAVES, FOLLOWS AND REVIEWS AND FOR READING THIS! i wouldnt have gotten this far without yall!


	31. Epilogue

Arms swinging.

Hot sand under sandals.

Laughter.

Lila and Marinette walked hand in hand on the white beach, making their way to the sparkling water. Summer vacation had come to Paris, and our heroines had gone for a very deserving trip to the beach. After months of fighting crime and emotional turmoil, they finally had some time to relax.

 _On a triple date_.

Well, a double date plus a couple-to-be.

On the same beach, Nathanaël was sitting in the shade and drawing a napping Adrien. Alya and Nino splashed each other in the sea, mouths stretched in big grins as they laughed.

"It's so nice to have summer vacation," Lila commented, glancing upwards at the sky. The sun was bright and warm and felt pleasant on her skin. She felt freer than ever before.

"Yea," Marinette answered, squeezing Lila's hand gently, "We can go on more dates."

At that, Lila blushed a little bit and smiled.

"And we will," Lila nodded as they walked.

The two had been through alot together. It hadn't been a smooth journey, but they'd persevered despite outside forces and inner conflict. And ultimately, they had grown as people.

As they approached the umbrella that housed Nathanaël, they took their sandals off. Marinette peered over the boy's shoulder to observe his drawing.

"Wow! Nathanaël, that's super good!" She exclaimed, and Nathanaël, who hadn't noticed the girls behind him, flinched a little bit.

"Oh!- um, thank you," He said quickly, face turning as red as his hair. He and Adrien had gotten pretty close, and though he had hung around their group a few times, he wasn't that comfortable yet. Lila predicted the two would get together fairly soon.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you," Marinette waved her hands in front of her apologetically, and Lila glanced over to see the sketchbook as well. Nathanaël had created a rather well drawn recreation of Adrien's sleeping face and chest, and Lila was impressed.

"But it is very cool," Lila added, and Nathanaël turned even redder.

"Thank you," He laughed nervously but happily, and Lila smiled back.

"When did he fall asleep though?" Lila inquired, straightening her back.

"He came straight from a photoshoot, so he was pretty tired," Nathanaël told her, "He fell asleep maybe twenty minutes ago."

"Awe," Marinette said, "he's really busy, isn't he?"

"Yea," Nathanaël agreed, continuing to draw, "Thanks to that, though, I can see his sleeping face."

Marinette and Lila looked at each other and then back at Nathanaël.

Nathanaël seemed to suddenly realize what he'd said.

"I mean! Thanks to that, I can draw sleeping people! Haha, most of the people I draw from reference are awake so!" He hurried to correct, reaching shades redder than his hair, "It's not that I like looking at his face!"

Lila held back her laughter.

"I get what you mean!" Marinette said, trying not to embarrass the poor kid anymore.

"Yup," Lila nodded her head, and Nathanaël just sighed and looked back at his drawing.

Just then, Adrien's eyes blinked open, and he sleepily lifted his head.

Nathanaël moved at lightning speed and slammed his sketchbook shut as Adrien looked around, and then sat up.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep, sorry," He murmured as he rubbed his eyes.

"It's alright! No biggie!" Nathanaël jumped to say , and Adrien laughed lightly.

"You wanna head out to the water? It might help you stay awake," Marinette suggested, and Adrien mulled it over thoughtfully.

"Yea, sure. Sounds good," He answered, and slowly got to his meet. Nathanaël tilted his head up, watching as Adrien stood up before realizing he was staring and jerked his head down immediately. Lila felt a little sorry for the lovestruck boy.

But then Adrien extended a hand down to Nathanaël, who blinked and looked at the hand for a solid two seconds, then up at Adrien, who was smiling warmly. Nathanaël averted his eyes shyly but took the hand, and then the two of them were up together.

The four set off the ocean, and Lila noticed that Adrien hadn't let go of Nathanaël's hand.

As they approached the water, Marinette took off after winking at Lila, and Lila just watched to see exactly what would happen. Alya was shielding herself from a deadly splash from Nino when all of a sudden she was pulled into the water.

Ah.

"Alya!" Nino called out, hurrying to where Alya had vanished.

But Alya resurfaced immediately, eyes determined to seek revenge on whoever had attacked her. Marinette popped up a little ways away with a devilish glint to her eyes.

"Mari!" Alya said accusingly as she spotted her, and then dove into the water and swam at a terrifying speed to Marinette's location, whose eyes immediately bugged out in fear and surprise.

"She has no fear," Lila observed appreciatively.

"Wow," Nathanaël commented.

The three of them stood at the shore, water gently lapping up over their feet.

"Well, let's go on ahead and join them," Adrien decided, and then pulled Nathanaël farther into the water.

Lila waded into the warm water, relishing the feel of the gentle waves on her skin.

She was looking around for Marinette when all of a sudden something seized her calf and she was yanked underwater. Lila waited until the grip loosened, and then she reached out with her arms and flung them towards where she presumed the assailant to be.

Sure enough, her arms came around a familiar frame and pressed it close to her chest. Lila pressed off the ground with her feet, and when she used one hand to wipe her eyes and opened them to the air, she could see she had caught Marinette in her arms.

"Gotcha," She said as Marinette wiped at her own eyes. They probably should have gotten goggles.

Marinette pouted, and then lightning fast, leaned forward, pecked Lila who moved in surprise, but Lila didn't loosen her arms and only hugged Marinette closer to prevent her escape.

"You can't escape!" Lila said teasingly, and Marinette smiled.

"That's okay. Maybe I don't want to," She said as she touched her nose to Lila's. Lila felt happiness glow inside of her, and then she moved to kiss Marinette gently.

Lips and bodies pressed to one another, the two shared an intimate, sea-salted kiss.

But before it could go on for much longer, a spray of water splashed into their faces and then they were in all out war with Alya and Nino.

Eventually Adrien and then Nathanaël joined it, teaming up against the couples with coordinated attacks.

The six were having fun in the sea until suddenly Lila was aware that the water was _receding_.

Lila looked incredulously as the water moved away from the shore, leaving behind wet sand as it formed a giant sphere off in the distance. She stood up from the ocean floor, sand sticking to her knees as it did so.

"If I can't swim, then _no one_ can!" A voice suddenly boomed, and Lila turned to look back at the shore. A figure with a butterfly mask and a light blue suit stood with a hand outstretched towards the beach.

 _An akuma_.

She looked to Marinette, who looked back and nodded before taking off somewhere. Unsurprisingly, she saw Adrien look back and forth from Nathanaël and the akuma, and realized he wasn't sure how to leave Nathanaël to go transform.

The poor dude didn't know that she knew. Theoretically.

She was pretty sure he was Chat Noir, anyway.

"Nathanaël!" She called out, and he turned to her, eyes wide in anxiety. "Come help me move everyone out of here! It's not safe for us to be here!"

"I- okay!" He called back.

"Adrien, go help the others on the other side!" Lila then yelled to Adrien, who looked relieved and nodded, and then he was gone.

Nathanaël and Lila jogged to Alya and Nino, who were a little bit farther out.

"Let's get everyone out of here and hide," Lila said, and everyone nodded except for Alya.

"Are you kidding? I have to film this for the Ladyb- crap! Where's my phone?" The girl looked down at herself, and then out to the umbrella she had been sharing with Nino earlier.

"Let's go grab it, then," Nino suggested, and the two were off and it was Lila with Nathanaël.

"It's up to us, I guess," Lila said with a shrug.

Just then, a spotted figure ran out on the sand.

"Ladybug's here!" Nathanaël exclaimed, and then shortly after, a black figure dashed out next to her.

"They can take care of this," Lila said smartly, and then turned to Nathanaël, "I think we can go hide until its over,"

"Alright, but what about Adrien?" Nathanaël asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, he's a smart guy. He'll hide when he needs to." Lila jogged over the boardwalk and ducked into a restaurant, which was full of other sensible citizens.

As Lila and Nathanaël took a seat at the window and observed the chaos outside, Lila kept her eyes on the red blur.

Would Ladybug and Chat Noir ever get a rest? Lila rested her head on her hand and sighed sympathetically.

But even if akumas came and attacked every day and night, Lila knew that Ladybug and Chat Noir would be there to save everyone. No matter what happened, Marinette would defend the people of Paris with everything she had.

And no matter what happened, Lila would stick with her every step of the way.

 _Would she be?_

Lila's eyes widened and her eyebrows came together. She looked left and right but couldn't find the source of the voice, like always.

It seemed that recently there was a strange, dark thought that hid in the corners of her head, darting in and out of her mind. Whisper that told of darkness and sadness and ruin.

But it would be gone after a few words, and it would feel as if Lila had imagined it.

And just like always, it was gone immediately. Her mind was clear again and she was focusing on Ladybug fighting outside.

"Is something wrong?" Nathanaël asked curiously, and Lila shook her head.

"I'm fine," She said, and this time she was convinced it was true.

 _No, you're not._

Lila didn't realize that she wasn't.

Hey all! I never thought i would come this far, but somehow i did it! This is the longest solo piece of writing ive ever done, and im kinda impressed that i managed to get to a whopping 70k words!

I never would have done it without all of your encouragement and comments, and im sincerely grateful to all who left me a kudoes or a fave or a follow or anything. Thank you all so much for coming with me on this adventure, and im sorry for all of those random month-long hiatuses haha.

Special thanks to: VIP, Chaton Jaune, AureliaandMidnight, fanfictionmakermachine, prettykitty luvs u, luschka, kiracles, coldgoldlazarus, and djkatt for commenting especially often; yall really helped me continue even when i lost inspiration.

That being said, im trying to put together a coherent plot for a sequel. When i wrote this fic, i just started it with whatever and i think its kinda obvious. I didnt plan anything out until at least halfway through, so it kinda goes everywhere. I think it gets much better in the second half after i planned it out, so i think i will try to do the same for a sequel. I dont know how long the sequel will be, but i do have lots of angst and fluff ideas. Please keep in mind that i am in college right now so i will not have a fixed schedule, and like before, the updates will be random.

Thank you all so much again! I cant wait to yall again in the sequel 333


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